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Book F 
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COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



THE STORY OF A DOCTOR'S 

TELEPHONE— TOLD 

BY HIS WIFE 



BY 

ELLEN M. FIREBAUGH 

Author of "The Physician's Wifb" 



BOSTON, MASS.: 
THE ROXBURGH PUBLISHING COMPANY 

(Incorporated) 






Copyrighted, 1912 
By Ellen M. Firebaugh 



All rights reserved 



» 



BCIA309790 



TO MY HUSBAND 



TO THE READER. 

The telephone has revolutionized the doctor's 
life. 

In the old days when a horse's galloping hoofs 
were heard people looked out of their windows 
and wondered if that wasn't someone after a 
doctor ! The steed that Franklin harnessed bears 
the message now, and comments and curiosity 
are stilled. In the old days thunderous knocks 
came often to the doctor's door at night ; they are 
never heard now, or so rarely as to need no men- 
tion. Neighbors have been awakened by these 
importunate raps : they sleep on undisturbed now. 

The doctor's household enjoys nothing of this 
sweet immunity. A disturbing factor is within 
it that makes the thunderous knocks of old pale 
into insignificance. 

When the telephone first came into the town 
where our doctor lived he had one put in his 
office of course, for if anyone in the world needs 
a 'phone it is the doctor and the people who want 
him. By and by he bethought him that since his 
office was several blocks from his residence he 
had better put one in there, too, because of calls 
that come in the night. So it was promptly in- 
stalled. The doctor and nis wife found their sleep 
disturbed far oftener than before. People will 



6 THE STORY OF A 

not dress and go out into the night to the doctor's 
house unless it is necessary. But it is an easy- 
thing to step to the 'phone and call him from his 
sleep to answer questions — often needless — 
and when several people do the same thing in 
the same night, as frequently happens, it is not 
hard to see what the effect may be. 

One day the doctor had an idea! He would 
connect the two 'phones. It would be a handy 
thing for Mary to be able to talk to him about 
the numberless little things that come up in a 
household without the trouble of ringing cen- 
tral every time, and it would be a handy thing 
for him, too. When he had to leave the office 
he could just 'phone Mary and she could keep 
an ear on the 'phone till he got back. 

About this time another telephone system was 
established in the town — the Farmers'. Now 
a doctor's clientele includes many farmers, so he 
put one of the new 'phones into his office. By 
and by he reflected that farmers are apt to need 
to consult a physician at night — he must put 
in a Farmers' 'phone at home, too. And he did. 
Then he connected it with the office. 

When the first 'phone went up Mary soon ac- 
customed herself to its call — three rings. When 
her husband connected it with the office the rings 
were multiplied by three. One ring meant some- 
one at the office calling central. Two rings meant 
someone calling the office. Three rings meant 
someone calling the residence, as before. Mary 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 7 

found the three calls confusing. When the 
Farmers' 'phone was installed and the same or- 
der of rings set up, she found the original ring 
multiplied by six. This was confusion worse 
confounded. To be sure the bell on the Farmers' 
had a somewhat hoarser sound than that on the 
Citizens' 'phone, but Mary's ear was the only 
one in the household that could tell the difference 
with certainty. The clock in the same room 
struck the half hours which did not tend to sim- 
plify matters. When a new door-bell was put 
on the front door Mary found she had eight dif- 
ferent rings to contend with. But it is the bells 
of the Telephone with which we are concerned 
and something of their story will unfold as we 
proceed. 

When the doctor was at home and the 'phone 
would ring he would start toward the adjoining 
room where the two hung and stop at the first. 

Mary would call "Farmers'!" and he would 
move on to the next. Perhaps at the same in- 
stant the tall boy of the household whose ear was 
no more accurate than that of his father would 
shout "Citizens' !" and the doctor would stop 
between the two. 

"Farmers' !" the wife would call a second time, 
with accrued emphasis. Then she would laugh 
heartily and declare: 

"Any one coming in might think this a sort 
of forum where orations were being delivered," 
and sometimes she would go on and declaim : 



8 THE STORY OF A 

"Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your 
ears — my husband has borrowed mine." 

So the telephone in the doctor's house — • so 
great a necessity that we cannot conceive of life 
without it, so great a blessing that we are hourly 
grateful for it, is yet a very great tyrant whose 
dominion is absolute. 

I had a pleasing picture in my mind in the 
writing of this chronicle, of sitting serene and un- 
disturbed in a cosy den upstairs, with all the 
doors between me and the 'phone shut tight 
where no sound might intrude. In vain. With- 
out climbing to the attic I could not get so far 
away that the tintinnabulation that so mercilessly 
wells from those bells, bells, bells did not 
penetrate. 

I hope my readers have not got so far away 
from their Poe as to imagine that ringing sen- 
tence to be mine. And I wonder if a still greater 
glory might not crown his brow if there had 
been telephone bells to celebrate in Poe's day. 

So I gave up the pleasant dream, abandoned 
the cosy den and came down stairs to the dining 
room where I can scatter my manuscript about 
on the big table, and look the tyrants in the face 
and answer the queries that arise, and can sand- 
wich in a good many little odd jobs besides. 

Through a doctor's telephone how many 
glimpses of human nature and how many peeps 
into the great Story of Life have been mine ; and 
if, while the reader is peeping too, the scene sud- 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 9 

denly closes, why that is the way of telephones 
and not the fault of the writer. 

And knowing how restful a thing it has been 
to me to get away from the ringing of the bell 
at times, I have devised a rest for the reader also 
and have sent him with the doctor and his wife 
on an occasional country drive where no tele- 
phone intrudes. 

E. M. F. 
Robinson, 111. 



The Story of a Doctor's Telephone 

CHAPTER I. 

The hands of the clock were climbing around 
toward eleven and the doctor had not returned. 
Mary, a drowsiness beginning to steal over her, 
looked up with a yawn. Then she fell into a so- 
liloquy ; 



To bed, or not to bed — that is the question: 
Whether 'tis wiser in the wife to wait for a belated 

spouse, 
Or to wrap the drapery of her couch about her 
And lie down to pleasant dreams? 
To dream! perchance to sleep! 
And by that sleep to end the headache 
And the thousand other ills that flesh is heir to* 
The restoration of a wilted frame, — 
Wilted by loss of sleep on previous nights — 
A consummation devoutly to be wished. 
To dream! perchance to sleep! — aye, there's the rub; 
For in that somnolence what peals may come 
Must give her pause. There is the telephone 
That makes calamity of her repose. 
Her spouse may not have come to answer it, 
Which means that she, his wife, must issue forth 
All dazed and breathless from delicious sleep, 
And knock her knees on intervening chairs, 
And bump her head on a half open door, 
And get there finally all out of breath, 
And take the receiver down and say: "Hello?" 



12 THE STORY OF A 

The old, old question: "Is the doctor there?" 

Comes clearly now to her awakened ear. 

Then, tentatively, she must make reply: 

"The doctor was called out an hour ago, 

But I expect him now at any time." 

Good patrons should be held and not escape 

To other doctors that may lie in wait; 

For in this voice so brusque and straight and clear 

She recognizes an old friend and true, 

Whose purse is ever ready to make good, 

And she hath need of many, many things. 

But then, again, the message of the 'phone 

May be that of some stricken little child 

Whose mother's voice trembles with love and fear. 

Then must the listener earnestly advise : 

"Don't wait for him! Get someone else to-night." 

Perchance again the message may be that 

Of colics dire and death so imminent 

That she who listens, tho' with 'customed ear, 

Shrinks back dismayed and knows not what to say, 

Lacking the knowledge and profanity 

Of him who, were he there, would settle quick 

This much ado about much nothingness. 

And so these anticipatory peals 

Reverberate through fancy as she sits, 

And make her rather choose to bear the ills 

She has than fly to others she may meet; 

To wait a little longer for her spouse, 

That, when at last she does retire to rest, 

She may be somewhat surer of her sleep. 

And so she sits there waiting for the step 

And the accompanying clearing of the throat 

Which she would know were she in Zanzibar. 

And by-and-by he comes and fate is kind 

And lets them slumber till the early dawn. 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 13 



CHAPTER II. 

Ten P. M. The 'phone is ringing and the 
sleepy doctor gets out of bed and goes to an- 
swer it. 

"Hello." 

No response. 

"Hello!" 

Silence. 

"Hello!!" 

"Is this Doctor Blank?" 

"Yes." 

"I want you to come out to my house — my 
wife's sick." 

"Who is it?" 

"Jim Warner. Come just as — " 

A click in the receiver. 

The doctor waits a minute. Then he says 
"Hello." No answer. He waits another minute. 
"Hell-oU" 

Silence. "Damn that girl — she's cut us off." 
He hangs up the receiver and rings the bell 
sharply. He takes it down and hears a 
voice say leisurely, "D'ye get them?" 

"Yes ! What in h-11 did you cut us off for ?" 

"Wait a minute — I'll ring 'em again," says 
the voice, hasty and obliging, so potent a thing is 
a man's unveiled wrath. She rings 'em again. 



14 THE STORY OF A 

Soon the same voice says, "Are you there yet, 
Doctor?" 

"Yes, now what is it !" 

The voice proceeds and the doctor listens put- 
ting in an occasional "Yes" or "No." Then he 
says, "All right — 111 be out there in a little bit." 
He hangs up the receiver and his wife falls 
asleep again. The doctor dresses and goes out. 
The house is in darkness. All is still. In about 
five minutes Mary is suddenly, sharply awake. 
A slight noise in the adjoining room! She lis- 
tens with accelerated heart-beats. The doctor 
has failed to put on the night latch. Some thief 
has been lying in wait watching for his oppor- 
tunity, and now he has entered. What can she 
do. Muffled footsteps! she pulls the sheet over 
her head, her heart beating to suffocation. The 
footsteps grope their way toward her room! 
Great Heaven! A hand fumbles at the door 
knob. She shrieks aloud. 

"What on earth is the matter!" 

O, brusque and blessed is that voice! 

"John, you have nearly scared me to death," 
she says, sitting up in bed, half laughing and 
half crying. "But I heard you tell that man you 
were coming out there." 

"Yes. I told him I was." 

"Well, why didn't you go?" 

"I did go." 

"You don't mean to tell me you have been a 
mile and back in five minutes." 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 15 

The doctor flashed on the light and looked at 
his watch, — "Just an hour since I left home," 
he said. Mary gasped. "Well, it only proves 
how soundly I can sleep when I get a chance," 
she said. 



Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. 

It is the office ring but Mary hurries at once 
to answer it. 

"Is this Dr. Blank's office?" 

"This is Mrs. Blank. But the doctor tele- 
phoned me about twenty minutes ago that he 
would be out for half an hour. Call him again in 
ten or fifteen minutes and I think you will find 
him." 

In about fifteen minutes the call is repeated. 
Mary would feel better satisfied to know that the 
doctor received the message so she goes to the 
'phone and listens. Silence. She waits a min- 
ute. Shall she speak? She hesitates. Struggle 
as she will against the feeling, she can't quite 
overcome it — it seems like "butting in." But 
that long silence with the listening ear at the 
other end of it is too much for her. Very 
pleasantly, almost apologetically she asks, "What 
is it?" 

"The doctor hasn't come yet?" says a plainly 
disappointed voice. 

"No — not yet. There are often unexpected 
things to delay him — if you will give me your 



16 THE STORY OF A 

number or your name I will have him call you!' 
"No, I'll just wait and call him again." The 
inflection says plainly, "I don't care to admit the 
doctor's wife into my confidences." 

"Very well. I am sure it can't be long now 
till he returns." 

Mary goes back to her chair and ponders a 
little. Of what avail to multiply words. No use 
to tell the woman 'phoning that she was willing 
to take the waiting and the watching, the seeing 
that the doctor received the message upon her- 
self rather than that the other should be again 
troubled by it. No use to let her gently under- 
stand that she doesn't care for any confidences 
which belong only to her husband, but Fate has 
placed her in a position where she has oftentimes 
to seem unduly interested. That these messages 
which are only occasional with the one calling 
are constant with her and that she is only mind- 
ful of them when she must be. 



"Watch the 'phone." How thoroughly in- 
stilled into Mary's consciousness that admonition 
was! She did not heed the office ring when it 
came, but if it came a second time she always 
went to explain that the doctor had just stepped 
over to the drug store probablv and would be 
back in a very few minutes. Often, as she stood 
explaining, the doctor himself would break into 
the conversation, having been in another room 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 17 

when the first call came, and getting there a 
little tardily for the second. But occasions some- 
times arose which made Mary feel very thank- 
ful that she had been at the 'phone. One winter 
morning as she stood explaining to some woman 
that the doctor would be in in a few minutes, her 
husband's "Hello" was heard. 

"There he is now," she said. Usually after 
this announcement she would hang up the re- 
ceiver and go about her work. Today a friendly 
interest in this pleasant voice kept it in her hand 
a moment. Mary would not have admitted idle 
curiosity, and perhaps she had as little of it as 
falls to the lot of women, but sometimes she lin- 
gered a moment for the message, to know if the 
doctor was to be called away, so that she might 
make her plans for dinner accordingly. The 
pleasant voice spoke again, "This is Dr. Blank, 
is it?" 
"Yes." 

"We want you to come out to Henry Ogden's." 
"That's about five miles out, isn't it. Whose 
sick out there?" 
"Mrs. Ogden." 
"What's the matter?" 
No reply. 

"How long has she been sick?" 
"She began complaining last night." 
"All right — I'll be out some time today." 
"Come right away, please, if you can." 
This is an old, old plea. The doctor is thor- 



i8 THE STORY OF A 

oughly inured to it. He would have to be twenty 
men instead of one to respond to it at all times. 
He answers cheerfully, "All right," and Mary 
takes alarm. That tone means sometime in the 
next few hours. She feels sure he ought to go 
now. Somebody else can wait better than this 
patient. There was a kind of hesitancy in that 
voice that Mary had heard before. A woman's 
intuitions are much safer guides than a man's 
slow reasoning. She must speak to John. She 
rings the office. 

"Hello." 

"Say, John," she says in a low voice, "I came 
to the 'phone thinking you were out and heard 
that message. I think you ought to go out there 
right away" 

"Well, I'm going after a little." 

"But I don't think you ought to wait. I'm 
sure it's — you know." 

"Well, — maybe I had better go right out." 

"I wish you would. I know they'll be looking 
for you every minute." 

A few minutes later Mary saw him drive past 
and was glad. Half an hour later the office ring 
sounded. She did not wait for the second peal. 
True, John had not said, "Watch the 'phone," 
today, but that was understood. Occasion- 
ally he got an old man who lived next door to the 
office to come in and stay during his absence. 
Possibly he might have done so today. But even 
if he were there the telephone and its ways were 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 19 

a dark mystery to him and besides, his deafness 
made him of little use in that direction. 

Mary took down the receiver and put it to 
her ear. A lady's voice was asking, "Who is 
this?" 

Mary knew from her inflection that she had 
asked something before and was not satisfied 
with the reply. 

"This is Dr. Blank's office ?" announced the old 
man in a sort of interrogative. 

Well, where is the doctor?" 

"The doctor," said the old man meditatively, 
as if wondering that anybody should be calling 
for him — "the doctor — you mean Dr. Blank, 
I reckon?" 

"I certainly do." 

"Good Heavens," thought Mary, "why don't 
he go on !" 

"Why, he's out." 

"Where is he?" 

"He went to the country." 

Mary shut her lips tight. 

"Well, when will he be back?" 

"He 'lowed he'd be back in about an hour 
or so." 

"How long has he been gone? Maybe I'll get 
some information after a while." 

Mary longed to speak. Why hadn't she done 
so at first. If she thrust herself in now it would 
make her out an eavesdropper. But this was un- 
bearable. She opened her mouth to speak when 
the old man answered. 



20 THE STORY OF A 

"He's been gone over an hour now, I reckon." 

'Then he'll soon be back. Will you be there 
when he comes?" 

"Yes ma'am." 

"Then tell him to come up to Mrs. Dorian's." 

"To Mrs. Who's?" 

"Mrs. Dorian's." 

"I didn't ketch the name." 

"Mrs. Dorian's, on Brownson street." 

"Mrs. Torren's?" 

"MISS-ES — DOR-LAN'S!" shouted the 
voice. 

Mary sighed fiercely and clinched her teeth 
unconsciously. "I will speak," she thought, when 
the old voice ventured doubtingly, 

"Mrs. Dorian's?" 

"That's it. Mrs. Dorian's on Brownson street, 
will you remember it?" 

"Mrs. Dorian's, on Brownson street." 

"That's right. Please tell him just as soon as 
he comes to come right up." 

"All right — I'll tell him." 

"Poor old fellow!" said Mary as she turned 
from the 'phone, "but I don't want to go through 
any more ordeals like that. It was a good deal 
harder for me than for the other woman." 

The doctor came down late to dinner. "You 
got Mrs. Dorian's message did you?" 

"Yes, I'll go up there right after dinner." He 
looked at his wife with peculiar admiration. 
"How did you know what was wanted with me 
out in the country?" he asked. 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 21 

With a little pardonable pride she replied : "Oh, 
I just felt it. Women have ways of understand- 
ing each other that men never attain to. Is it 
a boy or a girl added to the world today?" 

"Neither," said the doctor placidly, helping 
himself to a roll. 

Chagrin overspread her face. "Well," she said 
with an embarrassed smile, "I erred on mercy's 
side, and it might have happened in just that 
way, John, and you know it." 

The doctor laughed. "There was mighty little 
the matter out there — they didn't need a doctor." 

"Are they good pay ?" 

"Good as old wheat." 

"Then there are compensations." 



Some hours later when the 'phone rang, Mary 
went to explain that the doctor had 'phoned her 
he would be out about twenty minutes. But she 
found no chance to speak. A spirited dialogue 
was taking place between a young man and a 
maid: 

"Where are you, Jack?" 

"I'm right here." 

"Smarty ! Where are you !" 

"In Dr. Blank's office." 

"What are you there for?" 

"I'm waiting for the doctor and to while away 
the time thought I'd call you up." 

Then it was his ring that Mary had answered. 



22 THE STORY OF A 

"I ought to hang this receiver right up," thought 
she, but instead she held it, her face beaming with 
a sympathetic smile. 

"Are you feeling better today, Dolly ?" 

"Yes, I'm better." 

"Able to go to the show then, tonight?" 

"Yes, I'm able to go." 

Here a thin small voice put in, "No, you're not 
able! You're not going." 

"Mamma says, — " began a pouting voice. 

"I heard what she said," said Jack, laughing. 
"Have you been up all day?" 

"Most of the day." 

"Can you eat anything?" 

"I ate an tgg, some toast and some fruit for 
dinner." 

"That's fine. I'll bring you a box of candy 
then pretty soon — I'm coming down in a little 
bit." 

"That will be lovely." 

"Which, the candy or the coming down ?" 

"The candy, goose, of course." A laugh at 
both ends of the wire. 

Then Jack's voice. "Well, here comes the 
doctor. I've got to have my neck amputated now. 
Goodbye." 

"Good-bye." 

"All's fair in love and war," said Mary, "and 
it's plain to see what this is." Then she hung 
up the receiver without a qualm. 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 23 

There were other times when the doctor's wife 
was glad she had gone to the 'phone, as in this 
instance. 

She had taken down the receiver when a man's 
voice said, "The doctor just stepped out for a 
few minutes. If you will tell me your name, 
madam, I'll have him call you when he comes 
in." 

Disinterested courtesy spoke in his voice, but 
Mary was not in the least surprised to hear the 
curt reply, "It won't be necessary. I'll call him 
when he comes." 

"I dare say that gentleman, whoever he may 
be, is wondering what he has done," thought 
Mary. 

But it was not altogether unpleasant to her to 
hear somebody else squelched, too! 



There came a day when the doctor's wife re- 
belled. When her husband came home and ate 
his supper hastily and then rose to depart, she 
said, "You'd better wait at home a few minutes, 
John." 

"Why?" He put the question brusquely, his 
hat in his hand. 

"Because I think someone will ring here for 
you in a minute or two. Some man rang the 
office twice so I went to the 'phone to explain that 
you must be on your way to supper and he could 
find you here." 



24 THE STORY OF A 

"Who was it?" 

"I do not know." 

"Thunder! Why didn't you find out?" 

Mary looked straight at her husband. "How 
many times have I told you, John, that many peo- 
ple decline to give their names or their messages 
to any one but you. I think I should feel that 
way about it myself. For a long time I have 
dutifully done your bidding in the matter, but 
now I vow I will not trample my pride under 
my feet any longer — especially when it is all in 
vain. I will watch the 'phone as faithfully as in 
the past, but I will not ask for any name or any 
message. They will be given voluntarily if at 
all." 

"All right, Mary," said the doctor, gently, see- 
ing that she was quite serious. 

"I do not mean to say that most of the people 
who 'phone are grouchy and disagreeable — far 
from it. Indeed the majority are pleasant and 
courteous. But it is those who are not who have 
routed me, and made me vow my vow. Don't 
ask me to break it, John, for I will not." 

And having delivered this declaration, Mary 
felt almost as free and independent as in ante- 
telephone days. 

The doctor had seated himself and Leaning 
forward was swinging his hat restlessly between 
his knees. He waited five minutes. 

"I'll have to get back to the office," he ex- 
claimed, starting up. "I'm expecting a man 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 25 

to pay me some money. Waiting for the 
'phone to ring is like watching for the pot to 
boil." 

When he had been gone a minute or two, the 
ring came. With a new step Mary advanced to 
it. 

"Has the doctor got there yet?" the voice had 
lost none of its grouch. 

"He has. And he waited for your message 
which did not come. He could not wait longer. 
He has just gone to the office. If you will 'phone 
him there in two or three minutes, instead of 
waiting till he is called out again, you will find 
him." 

"Thank you, Mrs. Blank." The man was sur- 
prised into courtesy. 

The clear-cut, distinct sentences were very dif- 
ferent from the faltering, apologetic ones, when 
she had asked for his name or his message 
twenty minutes before. 

Mary's receiver clicked with no uncertain 
sound and a smile illumined her face. 



One day when the snow was flying and the 
wind was blowing a gale the doctor came hurry- 
ing in. "Where is the soapstone?" he asked, 
with small amenity. His wife flew to get it and 
laid it on the hearth very close to the coals. "Oh 
dear! How terrible to go out in such a storm. 
Do you have to?" she asked. 



26 THE STORY OF A 

"I certainly do. Do you think I'd choose a 
day like this for a pleasure trip?" 

"Aren't you glad you got that galloway?" she 
asked, hurrying to bring the big, hairy garment 
from its hook in the closet. She helped her hus- 
band into it, turned the broad collar up — then, 
when the soapstone was hot, she wrapped it up 
and gave it to him. "This ought to keep your 
feet from freezing," she said. The doctor took 
it, hurried out to the buggy, pulled the robes up 
around him and was gone. 

"Eight miles in this blizzard!" thought Mary 
shivering, "and eight miles back — sixteen miles. 
It will take most of the day." 

Two hours after the doctor had gone the tele- 
phone rang. 

"Is Dr. Blank there?" 

"No, he is in the country, about eight miles 
southwest." 

"This is Drayton. We want him at John 
Small's as soon as possible. How soon do you 
think he will be back?" 

"Not for several hours, I am afraid." 

"Well, will you send him down as soon as he 
comes? We want him bad." 

Mary assured him she would do so. "Poor 
John," she thought as she put up the receiver. 

In a few minutes she went hurriedly back. 
When she had called central, she said, "I am 
very anxious to get Dr. Blank, central. He is 
eight miles southwest of here — at the home of 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 27 

Thomas Calhoun. Is there a 'phone there ?" 
Silence for a few seconds then a voice, "No, there 
is no 'phone at Thomas Calhoun's." 

Disappointed, Mary stood irresolute, thinking. 
Then she asked, 

"Is there a 'phone at Mr. William Huntley's ?" 

"Yes, William Huntley has a 'phone." 

"Thank you. Please call that house for me." 

In a minute a man's voice said, "Hello." 

"Is this Mr. Huntley?" 

"Yes." 

"Mr. Huntley, this is Mrs. Blank. You live 
not far from Thomas Calhoun's, do you not?" 

"About half a mile." 

"Dr. Blank is there, or will be very soon, and 
there is an urgent call for him to go on to Dray- 
ton. I want to save him the long drive home 
first. I find there is no 'phone at Mr. Calhoun's 
so I have called you hoping you might be able 
to help me out. Perhaps someone of your fam- 
ily will be going down that way and will stop in." 

"I'll go, myself." 

"It's too bad to ask any one to go out on a 
day like this — " 

"That's all right, Mrs. Blank. Doc's been 
pretty clever to me." 

"Tell him, please, to go to John Small's at 
Drayton. I am very deeply obliged to you for 
your kindness, Mr. Huntley," she said, hanging 
the receiver in its place. 

"Eight miles back home, six miles from here 



28 THE STORY OF A 

to Drayton, six miles back — twenty miles in 
all. Four miles from Calhoun's to Drayton, six 
miles from Drayton home — ten miles saved on 
a blizzardy day," she thought in the thankful- 
ness of her heart. 

A few minutes later she was again at the 
'phone. "Please give me John Small's at Dray- 
ton. When the voice came she said, "I wanted 
to tell you that the doctor will be there perhaps 
in about an hour now. I got your message to 
him so that he will go directly to your house/' 

"I'm mighty glad to know it. Thank you, Mrs. 
Blank, for finding him and for letting us know." 

A terrible drive saved and some anxious hearts 
relieved. That dear 'phone! How thankful she 
was for it and for the country drives she had 
taken with her husband which had made her fa- 
miliar with the homes and names of many farm- 
ers. Otherwise she could not have located her 
husband this morning. One day like this cov- 
ered a multitude of tyrannies from the little in- 
strument on the wall. 



It was about half past seven. The doctor had 
thought it probable that he could get ofT early 
this evening and then he and Mary and the boys 
would have a game of whist. He had been 
called in consultation to W., a little town in an 
adjoining county, but he would be home in a 
little bit — in just ten minutes the train would be 
due. 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 29 

"O, there goes that 'phone," said the small boy- 
wrath fully. ''Now, I s'pose papa can't get 
here !" 

His mother was already there with the receiver 
at her ear. 

"This is Dr. Blank's residence." 

"No, but he will be here in fifteen or twenty 
minutes." 

"To Drayton?" 

"Very well. I will give him your message as 
soon as he gets home. I'm afraid that ends the 
game for tonight, boys," putting the receiver up. 

"Why, does papa have to go away?" 

"Yes, he has to drive six miles." 

"Gee-mi-nee — this dark night in the mud !" 

Here a thought flashed into Mary's mind — 
Drayton was on the same railroad on which 
the doctor was rapidly nearing home — the next 
station beyond. She flew to the telephone and 
rang with nervous haste. 

"Hello." 

"Is this the Big Four?" 

"Yes." 

"This is Mrs. Blank. Dr. Blank is on the 
train which is due now. He is wanted at Dray- 
ton. When he gets off, will you please tell 
him?" 

"To go on to Drayton?" 

"Yes, to Alfred Walton's." 

"All right. I'll watch for him and see that he 
gets aboard again." 



30 THE STORY OF A 

"Thank you very much." 

The train whistled. "Just in time," said Mary. 

"But how '11 papa get back?" asked the smaller 
boy. 

"He's got a tie-ticket," said his brother. 

"Yes, papa would rather walk back on the 
railroad than drive both ways through this deep 
mud," said their mother. "I have heard him 
say so." 

Another ring. 

"Is the doctor there?" 

"He has just gone on the train to Drayton." 

"How soon will he be back?" 

"In an hour and a half, I should think." 

"Mary heard the 'phoner say in an aside, "He 
won't be back for an hour and a half. Do you 
want to wait that long?" 

Another voice replied, "Yes, I'll wait. Tell 
'em to tell him to come just as quick as he gets 
back, though." 

This message was transmitted. 

"And where is he to go?" 

"To Henry Smith's, down by the Big Four 
depot." 

A few minutes later Mary had another idea. 
She went to the 'phone and asked central to 
give her Drayton, Mr. Walton's house." 

In a minute a voice said, "What is it?" It 
was restful to Mary to have the usual opening 
varied. Perhaps eight out of ten began with, 

"Hello!" The other two began, "Yes," 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 31 

"Well," "What is it?" and very rarely, "Good 
morning," or "Good evening." 

"Is this the home of Mr. Walton at Drayton?" 

"Yes." 

"Dr. Blank is there just now, isn't he?" 

"Yes, but he's just going away." 

"Will you please ask him to come to the 
'phone?" 

In a minute her husband's voice was heard 
asking what was wanted. 

"I want to save you a long walk when you get 
home, John. You're wanted at Henry Smith's 
down by the Big Four depot." 

"All right. I'll go in to see him when I get 
there. Much obliged." 

"A mile walk saved there," mused the doctor's 
wife, as she joined the two boys, mildly grumb- 
ling because they couldn't have their game, and 
never could have it just when they wanted it. But 
a few chapters from Ivanhoe read to them by 
their mother made all serene again. 



The Citizens' 'phone was ringing persistently. 
The doctor's wife had been upstairs and could 
not get to it in less than no time! But she got 
there. 

"Do you know where Dr. Blank is ?" the words 
hurled themselves against her ear. 

"I don't know just at this minute — but he's 
here in town. I'm sure of that." 



32 THE STORY OF A 

"Why don't he come then I" The sentence 

came as from a catapult. 

"I don't know anything about it. Where was 
he to go?" 

A scornful "Huh!" came over the wire — "I 
guess you forgot to tell 'im." 

"I have not been asked to tell him anything 
this morning." 

There was heated silence for an instant, then 
a voice big with wrath: 

"You told me not fifteen minutes ago that you 
would send him right down." 

"You are mistaken," said Mary gently but 
firmly. "This is the first time I have been at the 
'phone this morning." 

"Well, what do you think of that !" This was 
addressed to someone at the other end of the 
line, but it came clearly to Mary's ear and its 
intonation said volumes. 

"You're the very identical woman that told me 
when I 'phoned awhile ago that you'd send him 
right down. It's the very same voice." 

"There is a mistake somewhere," reiterated 
Mary, patiently, "but I'll send the doctor as soon 
as he gets in if you will give me your name." 

"I'll tell ye agin, then, that he's to come to 
Lige Thornton's." 

"Very well. I'll send him," and Mary left the 
'phone much mystified. "She was in dead earn- 
est — and so was I. I can't understand it." 
Glancing out of the window she saw her tall, 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 33 

young daughter coming up the walk. The solu- 
tion came with lightning quickness — strange 
she didn't think of that, Gertrude had answered. 
She remembered now that others had thought 
their voices very much alike, especially over the 
'phone. "If the woman had not talked in such 
a cyclonic way I would have thought of it," she 
reflected. 

When the young girl entered the room her 
mother said, "Gertrude, you answered the 'phone 
awhile ago, didn't you ?" 

"About twenty minutes ago. Some woman 
was so anxious for father to come right away 
that I just ran down to the office to see that he 
went." 

"That was very thoughtful of you, dear, but 
it's little credit we're getting for it." 

She related the dialogue that had just taken 
place and mother and daughter laughed in sym- 
pathy. 

"Why, Mamma, we couldn't forget if we 
wanted to. That telephone is an Old Man of the 
Sea to both of us — is now and ever shall be, 
world without end." 

"But did you find your father at the office?" 

"Yes, and waited till he fixed up some medi- 
cine for two patients already waiting, then shooed 
him out before some more came in. I wanted 
to get it off my mind." 

"I'm glad he is on his way. Now stay within 
hearing of the 'phone, dearie, till I finish my 
work up-stairs." 



34 THE STORY OF A 

"All right, Mamma, I'm going to make a cake 
now, but I can hear the 'phone plainly from the 
kitchen." 

It wasn't long till a ring was heard. Gertrude 
dusted the flour from her hands and started. 
"Which 'phone was it?" she asked the maid. 

"I think it was the Farmers'," said Mollie, hes- 
itating. 

So to the Farmers' 'phone went Gertrude. 

"Hello." 

No answer. 

"Hello." 

Silence. 

She clapped the receiver up and hurried to 
the Citizens' 'phone. 

"Hello." 

"Is this Dr. Blank's?" 

"Yes." 

"Is he there?" 

"No, he was called — " Here a loud ring from 
the other 'phone sounded. 

"He was called down to — " said Gertrude rap- 
idly, then paused, unable to think of the name 
at the instant. 

"If you will tell me where he went, I'll just 
'phone down there for him," said the voice. 

A second peal from the other 'phone. 

"Yes, yes!" said Gertrude impatiently. "O, 
I didn't mean that for you," she hurried apolo- 
getically. "The other 'phone is calling, and I'm 
so confused I can't think. Will you excuse me 
just an instant till I see what is wanted?" 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 35 

"Certainly." 

She flew to the Farmers' phone. 

"Is this Dr. Blank's?" 

"Yes." 

"Good while a-answerin'," grumbled a voice. 

"I did answer but no one answered me" 

"Where's the doctor?" 

"He's down in the east part of town — will 
be back in a little bit." 

"Well, when he comes tell him — just hold the 
'phone a minute, will you, till I speak to my 
wife." 

"All right." But she put the receiver swiftly 
up and rushed back to the waiting man. She 
could answer him and get back by the time the 
other was ready for her. 

"Hello, still there?" 

"Yes." 

"I've thought of the name — father went to 
Elijah Thornton's." 

"Thornton's — let's see — have you a tele- 
phone directory handy — could you give me 
their number?" 

"Wait a minute, I'll see." She raced through 
the pages, — yes, here it is." 

A violent peal from the Farmers' 'phone. 
"He'll think I'm still hunting for the number," 
she thought, letting the receiver hang and rush- 
ing to the other 'phone. 

"Hello." 

"Thought you was a-goin* to hold the' phone. 
I've had a tumble time gittin' any answer." 



36 THE STORY OF A 

"I've had a tumble time, too," thought poor 
Gertrude. 

"Tell the doctor to call me up," and he gave 
his name and his number. 

"All right, I'll tell him." She clapped the re- 
ceiver up lest there might be more to follow and 
sped back. 

"Here it is," she announced calmly, "Elijah 
Thornton, number 101." 

"Thank you, I'm afraid I've put you to a good 
deal of trouble." 

"Not at all." 

As she went back to her cake she said to her- 
self, "Two telephones ringing at once can cer- 
tainly make things interesting." 



One day in mid winter Mary sat half dreaming 
before the glowing coals. Snow had fallen all 
through the previous night and today there had 
been good coasting for the boys and girls. 

Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. 
Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. 

She started up and went to answer it. 

"Is this you, Mary ?" 

"Yes." 

"I'll be out of the office about twenty minutes." 

"Very well." 

Sometimes Mary wished her husband would be 
a little more explicit. She had a vague sort of 
feeling that central, or whoever should chance 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 37 

to hear him make this announcement to her so 
often, might think she requested or perhaps de- 
manded it; might think she wanted to know 
every place her husband went. 

In about half an hour the 'phone rang again, 
two rings. 

John ought to be back. Should she 
take it for granted ? It would be safer to put the 
receiver to her ear and listen for her husband's 
voice. 

"Hello." 

"Hello." 

"Is this you Dr. Blank?" 

"Looks like it." 

"We want ye to come down to our house right 
away." 

"Who is this?" 

"W'y, this is Mrs. Peters." 

"Mrs. Peters ? Oh yes," said the doctor, recog- 
nizing the voice now. 

"What's the matter down there, grandmother ?" 

"W'y — my little grandson, Johnny, was slidin' 
down hill on a board and got a splinter in his 
setter." 

"He did, eh?" 

"Yes, he did, and a big one, too." 

"Well, I'll be down there right away. Have 
some boiled water." 

Mary turned away from the telephone that it 
might not register her low laughter as she put the 
receiver in its place. The next instant she took 



38 THE STORY OF A 

it down again with twinkling eyes and listened. 
Yes, the voices were silent, it would be safe. She 
rang two rings. 

"Hello," said her husband's voice. 

"John," said Mary, almost in a whisper, "for 
English free and unadorned, commend me to a 
little boy's grandmother!" 

Two laughs met over the wire, then two re- 
ceivers clicked. 



One day Mary came in from a walk and no- 
ticed at once, a vacant place on the wall where 
the Farmers' 'phone had hung. She had heard 
rumors of a merger of the two systems and had 
fervently hoped that they might merge soon and 
forever. 

"Look! Mamma," said Gertrude, pointing to 
the wall. 

"Oh frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! 
One telephone is taken away!" 

she chortled in her joy. 

(The small boy of the household had been 
reading "Alice" and consequently declaiming the 
Jabberwock from morning till night, till its weird 
strains had become fixed in the various minds of 
the household and notably in Gertrude's.) 

"It will simplify matters," said her mother, 
smiling, "but liberty is not for us. That tuneful 
peal will still ring on," and as she looked at the 
Citizens' 'phone the peal came. 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 39 



CHAPTER III. 

One Monday evening the doctor and his wife 
sat chatting cosily before the fire. In the midst 
of their conversation, Mary looked up suddenly. 
"I had a queer little experience this morning, 
John, I want to tell you about it." 

"Tell ahead," said John, propping his slippered 
feet up on the fender. 

"Well, I got my pen and paper ready to write 
a letter to Mrs. E. I wanted to write it yester- 
day afternoon and tell her some little household 
incidents just while they were taking place, as 
she is fond of the doings and sayings of boys and 
they are more realistic if reported in the present 
tense. But I couldn't get at it yesterday after- 
noon. When I started to write it this morning it 
occurred to me to date the letter Sunday after- 
noon and write it just as I would have done yes- 
terday — so I did. When I had got it half done 
or more I heard the door-bell and going to open 
it I saw through the large glass — " 

Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. 

The doctor went to the 'phone. 

"Yes." 

"Yes." 

"Where do you live?" 

"I'll be right down." 



40 THE STORY OF A 

He went back, hastily removed his slippers and 
began putting on his shoes. Mary saw that he 
had clean forgotten her story. Very well. It 
wouldn't take more than a minute to finish it — 
there would be plenty of time while he was get- 
ting into his shoes — but if he was not enough 
interested to refer to it again she certainly would 
not. In a few minutes the doctor was gone and 
Mary went to bed. An hour or two later his 
voice broke in upon her slumber. "Back again," 
he said as he settled down upon his pillow. In 
a minute he exclaimed, "Say, Mary, what was 
the rest of that story?" 

"O, don't get me roused up. I'm so sleepy," 
she said drowsily. 

"Well, I'd like to hear it." The interest in her 
little story which had not been exhibited at the 
proper time was being exhibited now with a 
vengeance. She sighed and said, "I can't think 
of it now — tell you in the morning. Good 
night," and turned away. 

When morning came and they were both awake, 
the doctor again referred to the unfinished story. 

"It's lost interest for me. It wasn't a story to 
start with, just a little incident that seemed 
odd—" 

"Well, let's have it." 

"Well, then," said Mary, "I was writing away 
when the door-bell rang. I went to open it and 
Saw through the glass the laundry man — " 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 41 

Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. 
Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. 

"Go on !" exclaimed her husband, hurriedly, 
"111 wait till you finish." 

'Til not race through a story in any such John 
Gilpin style," said Mary, tartly. "Go, John !" 

The doctor arose and went. 

"No." 

"I think not." 

"Has she any fever?" 

"All right, I'll be down in a little bit." 

Then he went back. "Now you can finish," he 
said. 

"Finis is written here" said Mary. "Don't 
say story to me again!" So Mary's story re- 
mained unfinished. 

But a few days later, when she was in the 
buggy with her husband she relented. "Now 
that the 'phone can't cut me short, John, I will 
finish about the odd incident just because you 
wanted to know. But it will fall pretty flat now, 
as all things do with too many preliminary 
flourishes." 

"Go on," said the doctor. 

"Well, you know I told you I dated my letter 
back to Sunday afternoon, and was writing away 
when I heard the door-bell ring. As I started 
toward the door I saw the laundry man standing 
there. I was conscious of looking at him in 
astonishment and in a dazed sort of way as I 
walked across the large room to open the door, 



42 THE STORY OF A 

I am sure he must have noticed the expression 
on my face. When I opened the door he asked 
as he always does, 'Any laundry V " 

" 'Any laundry today? The words were on 
my tongue's end but I stopped them in time. 
You see it was really Sunday to me, so deep into 
the spirit of it had I got, and it was with a 
little shock that I came back to Monday again 
in time to answer the man in a rational way. 
And now my story's done." 

"Not a bad one, either," said John, "I'm glad 
you condescended to finish it." 



The doctor came home at ten o'clock and went 
straight to bed and to sleep. At eleven he was 
called. 

"What is it?" he asked gruffly. 

"It's time for Silas to take his medicine and 
he won't do it." 

"Won't, eh?" 

"No. he vows he won't." 

"Well, let him alone for a while and then try 
again." 

About one came another ring. 

"We've both been asleep, Doctor, but I've been 
up fifteen minutes trying to get him to take his 
medicine and he won't do it. He says it's too 
damned nasty and that he don't need it anyhow." 

"Tell him I say he's a mighty good farmer, 
but a devilish poor doctor." 



DOCTORS TELEPHONE 43 

"I don't know what to do. I can't make him 

take it." 

"You'll have to let him alone for awhile I 
guess, maybe he'll change his mind after awhile." 

At three o'clock the doctor was again at the 
telephone. 

"Doctor, he just will not take it," the voice was 
now quite distressed. "I can't manage him at 
all." 

"You ought to manage him. What's a wife 
for? Well, go to bed and don't bother him or 
me any more tonight." 

But early next morning Silas' wife telephoned 
again. 

"I thought I ought to tell you that he hasn't 
taken it yet." 

"He'll get well anyway. Don't be a bit uneasy 
about him," said the doctor, laughing, as he rung 
off. 



"It's time to go, John." 

Mary was drawing on her gloves. She looked 
at her moveless husband as he sat before the 
crackling blaze in the big fireplace. 

"This is better than church," he made reply. 

"But you promised you would go tonight. 
Come on." 

"It isn't time yet, is it?" 

"The last bell will ring before we get there." 

"Well, let's wait till all that singing's over. 
That just about breaks my back." 



44 



THE STORY OF A 



Mary sat down resignedly. If they missed the 
singing perhaps John would not look at his watch 
and sigh so loud during the sermon. And it 
might not be a bad idea to miss the singing for 
another reason. The last time John had gone to 
church he had astonished her by sliding up be- 
side her, taking hold of the hymn-book and sing- 
ing! It happened to be his old favorite, "Sweet 
fields beyond the swelling flood." 

Of course it was lovely that he should want 
to sing it with her — but the way he sang it ! He 
was in the wrong key and he came out two or 
three syllables behind on most of the lines, but 
undismayed by the sudden curtailment went 
boldly ahead on the next. And Mary had been 
much relieved when the hymn was ended and 
the book was closed. So now she waited very 
patiently for her husband to make some move 
toward starting. By and by he got up and they 
went out. No sooner was the door closed behind 
them than the "ting-a-ling-ling-ling" was heard. 
The doctor threw open the door and went back. 
Mary, waiting at the threshold, heard one side of 
the dialogue. 

"Yes." 

"Down where?" 

"Shake up your 'phone. I can't hear you. 

"That's better. Now what is it?" 

"Swallowed benzine, did she? How much?.. . 
That won't kill her. Give her some warm water 
to drink. And give her a spoonful of mustard 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 45 

— anything to produce vomiting She has ? 

That's all right. Tell her to put her finger down 

her throat and vomit some more No, I 

think it won't be necessary for me to come down. 
.... You would ? Well, let me hear again in 
the next hour or two, and if you still want me 
I'll come. Good-bye." 

They walked down the street and as they drew 
near the office they saw the figure of the office 
boy in the doorway silhouetted against the light 
within. He was looking anxiously in their di- 
rection. Suddenly he disappeared and the faint 
sound of a bell came to their ears. They quick- 
ened their pace and as they came up the boy came 
hurriedly to the door again. 

"Is that you. Doctor?" he asked, peering out. 

"Yes." 

"I told a lady at the 'phone to wait a minute, 
she's 'phoned twice." Mary waited at the door 
while her husband went into the office and over 
to the 'phone. 

"Yes. What is it ? ... . No. No. No!.... 

Listen to me Be still and listen to me! She's 

in no more danger of dying than you are. She 

couldn't die if she tried Be still, I say, and 

listen to me!" He stamped his foot mightily. 
Mary laughed softly to herself. "Now don't 
hang over her and sympathise with her; that's 
exactly what she don't need. And don't let the 
neighbors hang around her either. Shut the 
whole tea-party out Well, tell 'em / said so. 



46 THE STORY OF A 

.... I don't care a damn what they think. Your 
duty and mine is to do the very best we can for 

that girl. Now remember Yes, I'll be down 

on the nine o'clock train tomorrow morning. 
Good-bye." He joined his wife at the door. "If 
anybody wants me, come to the church," he said, 
turning to the boy. 

Mary laid her hand within her husband's arm 
and they started on. They met a man who 
stopped and asked the doctor how soon he would 
be at the office, as he was on his way there to get 
some medicine. 

"I'd better go back," said the doctor and back 
they went. It seemed to Mary that her husband 
might move with more celerity in fixing up the 
medicine. He was deliberation itself as he cut 
and arranged the little squares of paper. Still 
more deliberately he heaped the little mounds of 
white powder upon them. She looked on anx- 
iously. At last he was ready to fold them up! 
No, he reached for another bottle. He took out 
the cork, but his spatula was not in sight. Nowise 
disturbed, he shifted bottles and little boxes about 
on the table. 

"Can't you use your knife, Doctor?" asked 
Mary. 

"O, I'll find it — it's around here somewhere." 
In a minute or two the missing spatula was dis- 
covered under a paper, and then the doctor 
slowly, so slowly, dished out little additions to 
the little mounds. Then he laid the spatula up, 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 47 

put the cork carefully back in the bottle, turned 
in his chair and put two questions to the waiting 
man, turned back and folded the mounds in the 
squares with the most painstaking care. In spite 
of herself Mary fidgeted and when the powders 
with instructions were delivered and the man had 
gone, she rose hastily. "Do come now before 
somebody else wants something." 

The singing was over and the sermon just be- 
ginning when they reached the church. It pro- 
gressed satisfactorily to the end. The doctor usu- 
ally made an important unit in producing that 
"brisk and lively air which a sermon inspires 
when it is quite finished." But tonight, a few 
minutes before the finale came, Mary saw the 
usher advancing down the aisle. He stopped at 
their seat and bending down whispered something 
to the doctor, who turned and whispered some- 
thing to his wife. 

"No, I'll stay and walk home with the Rands. 
I see they're here," she whispered back. 

The doctor rose and went out. "Who's at the 
office?" he asked, as he walked away with the 
boy. 

"She's not there yet, she telephoned. I told 
her you was at church." 

"Did she say she couldn't wait?" 

"She said she had been at church too, but a 
bug flew in her ear and she had to leave, and she 
guessed you'd have to leave too, because she 
couldn't stand it. She said it felt awful" 



48 THE STORY OF A 

"Where is she?" 

"She was at a house by the Methodist church, 
she said, when she 'phoned to see if you was 
at the office. When I told her I'd get you from 
the other church, she said she'd be at the office 
by the time you got there." 

And she was, sitting uneasily in a big chair. 

"Doctor, I've had a flea in my ear sometimes, but 
this is a different proposition. Ugh! Please get 
this creature out now. It feels as big as a bat. 
Ugh! It's crawling further in, hurry!" 

"Maybe we'd better wait a minute and see if 
it won't be like some other things, in at one ear 
and out at the other." 

"O, hurry, it'll get so far in you can't reach it." 

"Turn more to the light," commanded the doc- 
tor, and in a few seconds he held up the offend- 
ing insect. 

"O, you only got a little of it !" 

"I got it all." 

"Well, it certainly felt a million times bigger 
than that," and she departed radiantly happy. 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 49 



CHAPTER IV. 

One day in early spring the doctor surprised 
his wife by asking her if she would like to take 
a drive. 

"In March? The roads are not passable yet, 
surely." 

But the doctor assured her that the roads 
were getting pretty good except in spots. "I 
have such a long journey ahead of me today that 
I want you to ride out as far as Centerville and 
I can pick you up as I come back. ,, 

"That's seven or eight miles. I'll go. I can 
stop at Dr. Parkin's and chat with Mrs. Parkin 
till you come." 

Accordingly a few minutes later the doctor 
and Mary were speeding along through the town 
which they soon left far behind them. 

About two miles out they saw a buggy down 
the road ahead of them which seemed to be at 
a stand-still. When they drew near they found 
a woman at the horses' heads with a broken strap 
in her hand. She was gazing helplessly at the 
buggy which stood hub-deep in mud. She rec- 
ognized the doctor and called out, "Dr. Blank, if 
ever I needed a doctor in my life, it's now." 

"Stuck fast, eh?" 



SO THE STORY OF A 

The doctor handed the reins to his wife and 
got out. 

"I see — a broken single-tree. Well, I always 
unload when I get stuck, so the first thing we 
i do we'll take this big lummox out of here," he 
said picking his way to the buggy. The lummox 
rose to her feet with a broad grin and permitted 
herself to be taken out. She was a fat girl 
about fourteen years old. 

"My! I'll bet she weighs three hundred 
pounds," observed the doctor when she was 
landed, which was immediately resented. Then 
he took the hitching-rein and tied the tug to the 
broken end of the single-tree; after which he 
went to the horses' heads and commanded them 
to "Come on." They started and the next in- 
stant the vehicle was on terra firma. Mother 
and daughter gave the doctor warm thanks and 
each buggy went its separate way. 

Mary was looking about her. "The elms have 
a faint suspicion that spring is coming; the wil- 
lows only are quite sure of it," she said, noting 
their tender greenth which formed a soft blur 
of color, the only color in all the gray landscape. 
No, there is a swift dash of blue, for a jay has 
settled down on the top of a rail just at our trav- 
elers' right. 

Soon they were crossing a long and high 
bridge spanning a creek which only a week be- 
fore had been a raging torrent ; the drift, caught 
and held by the trunks of the trees, and the 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 51 

weeds and grasses all bending in one direction, 
told the story. But the waters had subsided and 
now lay in deep, placid pools. 

"Stop, John, quick!" commanded Mary when 
they were about half way across. The doctor 
obeyed wondering what could be the matter. He 
looked at his wife, who was gazing down into 
the pool beneath. 

"I suppose I'm to stop while you count all the 
fish you can see." 

"I was looking at that lovely concave sky 
down there. See those two white clouds floating 
so serenely across the blue far, far below the 
tip-tops of the elm trees." 

The doctor drove relentlessly on. 

"Another mudhole," said Mary after a while, 
"but this time the travelers tremble on the brink 
and fear to launch away." 

When they came up they found a little girl 
standing by the side of the horse holding up 
over its back a piece of the harness. She held it 
in a very aimless and helpless way. "See," said 
Mary, "she doesn't know what to do a bit more 
than I should. I wonder if she can be alone." 

The doctor got out and went forward to help 
her and discovered a young man sitting cozily 
in the carriage. He glanced at him contemp- 
tuously. 

"Your harness is broken, have you got a 
string?" he asked abruptly. 



52 THE STORY OF A 

"N-n-o, I haven't," said the youth feeling 
about his pockets. 

"Take your shoe-string. If you haven't got 
one I'll give you mine," and he set his foot en- 
ergetically on the hub of the wheel to unlace his 
shoe. 

"Why, I've got one here, I guess," and the 
young man lifted a reluctant foot. The doctor 
saw and understood. The little sister was to fix 
the harness in order to save her brother's brand 
new shoes from the mud. 

"You'd better fix that harness yourself, my 
friend, and fix it strong," was the doctor's part- 
ing injunction as he climbed into the buggy and 
started on. 

"I don't like the looks of this slough of de- 
spond," said Mary. The next minute the horses 
were floundering through it, tugging with might 
and main. Now the wheels have sunk to the 
hubs and the horses are straining every muscle. 

"Merciful heaven !" gasped Mary. At last they 
were safely through, and the doctor looking back 
said, "That is the last great blot on our civiliza- 
tion — bad roads." 

After a while there came from across the 
prairie the ascending, interrogative boo-oo-m of 
a prairie chicken not far distant, while from far 
away came the faint notes of another. And now 
a different note, soft, melodious and mournful 
is heard. 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 53 

"How far away do you think that dove is?" 
asked the doctor. 

"It sounds as if it might be half a mile." 
"It is right up here in this tree in the field." 
"Is it," said Mary, looking up. "Yes, I see, 
it's as pretty and soft as its voice. But I'm get- 
ting sunburned, John. How hot a March day 
can get!" 

"Only two more miles and good road all the 
way." 

A few minutes more and Mary was set down 
at Centerville, "I'll be back about sunset," an- 
nounced her husband as he drove off. 

A very pleasant-faced woman answered the 
knock at the door. She had a shingle in her hand 
and several long strips of muslin over her arm. 
She smilingly explained that she didn't often 
meet people at the door with a shingle but that 
she was standing near the door when the knock 
came. 

Mary, standing by the bed and removing hat 
and gloves, looked about her. 

"What are you doing with that shingle and 
all this cotton and stuff, Mrs. Parkin?" she 
asked. 

"Haven't you ever made a splint?" 
"A splint? No indeed, I'm not equal to that." 
"That's what I'm doing now. There's a boy 
with a broken arm in the office in the next 



54 THE STORY OF A 

"Oh, your husband has his office here at the 
house." 

"Yes, and it's a nuisance sometimes, too, but 
one gets used to it." 

"I'll watch you and learn something new about 
the work of a doctor's wife." 

"You'll learn then to have a lot of pillow slips 
and sheets on hand. Old or new, Dr. Parkin 
just tears them up when he gets in a hurry — it 
doesn't matter to him what goes." 

The doctor's wife put cotton over the whole 
length of the shingle and wound the strips of 
muslin around it; then taking a needle and 
thread she stitched it securely. Mary sat in her 
chair watching the process with much interest. 
"You have made it thicker in some places than 
in others," she said. 

"Yes ; that is to fit the inequalities of the arm." 
Mary looked at her admiringly. "You are some- 
thing of an artist," she observed. 

Just as Mrs. Parkin finished it her husband 
appeared in the doorway. 

"Is it done?" he asked. 

"It's just finished." 

"May I see you put it on, Doctor?" asked 
Mary, rising and coming forward. 

"Why, good afternoon, Mrs. Blank. I'm glad 
to see you out here. Yes, come right in. How's 
the doctor?" 

"Oh, he is well and happy — I think he expects 
to cut off a foot this afternoon." 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 55 

A boy with a frightened look on his face stood 
in the doctor's office with one sleeve rolled up. 
The doctor adjusted the fracture, then applied 
the splint while his wife held it steady until he 
had made it secure. When the splint was in 
place and the boy had gone a messenger came to 
tell the doctor he was wanted six miles away. 

About half an hour afterward a little black- 
eyed woman came in and said she wanted some 
more medicine like the last she took. 

"The doctor's gone," said Mrs. Parkin, "and 
will not be back for several hours." 

"Well, you can get it for me, can't you?" 

"Do you know the name of it?" 

"No, but I believe I could tell it if I saw it," 
said the patient, going to the doctor's shelves 
and looking closely at the bottles and phials with 
their contents of many colors. She took up a 
three-ounce bottle. "This is like the other bottle 
and I believe the medicine is just the same color. 
Yes, I'm sure it is," she said, holding it up to 
the light. Mary looked at her and then at Mrs. 
Parkin. 

"I wouldn't like to risk it," said the latter lady. 

"Oh, I'm not afraid. I don't want to wait until 
the doctor comes and I know this must be like 
the other. It's exactly the same color." 

"My good woman," said Mary, "you certainly 
will not risk that. It might kill you." 

"No, Mrs. Dawson, you must either wait till 
the doctor comes or come again," said Mrs. 



56 THE STORY OF A 

Parkin. The patient grumbled a little about 
having to make an extra trip and took her leave. 

When the door had closed behind her Mary- 
asked the other doctor's wife if she often had 
patients like that. 

"Oh, yes. People come here when the doctor 
is away and either want me to prescribe for them 
or to prescribe for themselves." 

"You don't do it, do you?" 

"Sometimes I do, when I am perfectly sure 
what I am doing. Having the office here in the 
house so many years I couldn't help learning a 
few things." 

"I wouldn't prescribe for anything or any- 
body. I'd be afraid of killing somebody." About 
an hour later Mary, looking out of the window, 
saw a wagon stopping at the gate. It contained 
a man and a woman and two well-grown girls. 

"Hello !" called the man. 

"People call you out instead of coming in. 
That is less trouble," observed Mary. The doc- 
tor's wife went to the door. 

"Is Doc at home?" 

"No, he has gone to the country." 

"How soon will he be back?" 

"Not before supper time, probably." 

The man whistled, then looked at his wife 
and the two girls. 

"Well, Sally," he said, "I guess we'd better 
git out and wait fur 'im." 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 57 

"W'y, Pa, it'll be dark long before we git 
home, if we do." 

"I can't help that. I'm not agoin' to drive 
eight miles tomorry or next day nuther." 

"If ye'd 'a started two hour ago like I wanted 
ye to do, maybe Doc 'd 'a been here and we c'd 
'a been purty nigh home by this time." 

"Shet up ! I told ye I wasn't done tradin' 
then." 

"It don't take me all day to trade a few aigs 
for a jug o' m'lasses an' a plug o' terbacker." 

For answer the head of the house told his 
family to "jist roll out now." They rolled out 
and in a few minutes they had all rolled in. Mrs. 
Parkin made a heroic effort not to look inhos- 
pitable which made Mary's heroic effort not to 
look amused still more heroic. 

When at last the afternoon was drawing to a 
close Mary went out into the yard to rest. She 
wished John would come. Hark! There is the 
ring of horses' hoofs down the quiet road. But 
these are white horses, John's are bays. She 
turns her head and looks into the west. Out in 
the meadow a giant oak-tree stands between her 
and the setting sun. Its upper branches are out- 
lined against the grey cloud which belts the en- 
tire western horizon, while its lower branches 
are sharply etched against the yellow sky be- 
neath the grey. 

What a calm, beautiful sky it was! 

She thought of some lines she had read more 



58 THE STORY OF A 

than once that morning. . . a bit from George 
Eliot's Journal: 

"How lovely to look into that brilliant dis- 
tance and see the ship on the horizon seeming to 
sail away from the cold and dim world behind 
it right into the golden glory! I have always 
that sort of feeling when I look at sunset. It 
always seems to me that there in the west lies 
a. land of light and warmth and love." 

A carriage was now coming down the road at 
great speed. Mary saw it was her husband and 
went in to put on her things. In a few minutes 
more she was in the buggy and they were bound 
for home. It was almost ten o'clock when they 
got there. The trip had been so hard on the 
horses that all the spirit was taken out of them. 
The doctor, too, was exceedingly tired. "Forty- 
two miles is a long trip to make in an after- 
noon," he said. 

"I hope Jack and Maggie are not up so late." 

"It would be just like them to sit up till we 
came." 

The buggy stopped ; the door flew open and 
Jack and Maggie stood framed in the doorway 
with the leaping yellow firelight for a back- 
ground. 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 59 



CHAPTER V. 

Once in a while sympathy for a fellow mortal 
kept the doctor's wife an interested listener at 
the phone. Going, one morning, to speak to a 
friend about some little matter she heard her 
husband say: 

"What is it, doctor?" A physician in a little 
town some ten or twelve miles distant, who had 
called Dr. Blank in consultation a few days be- 
fore, was calling him. 

"I think our patient is doing very well, but her 
heart keeps getting a little faster." 

"How fast is it now?" 

"About 120." 

"But the disease is pretty well advanced now 
— that doesn't mean as much as it would earlier. 
But you might push a little on the brandy, or 
the strychnine — how much brandy have you 
given her since I saw her?" 

"I have given her four ounces." 

"Four ounces!" 

"Yes." 

"Four ounces in three days ? I think you must 
mean four drachms." 

"Yes. It is drachms. Four ounces would be 
fixing things up. I've been giving her digitalis ; 
what do you think about that ?" 



60 THE STORY OF A 

"That's all right, but I think that strychnine 
would be a little better." 

"Would you give her any aromatic spirits of 
ammonia ?" 

"Does she rattle?" 

"A little." 

"Then you might give her a little of that. 
( And keep the room open and stick right to her 
and she ought to get along. Don't give her 
much to eat." 

"Is milk all right?" 

"Yes. You bet it is." 

"All right then, doctor, I believe that's all. 
Good-bye." 

On another occasion, Mary caught this frag- 
ment: 

"She's so everlastin' sore that she just hollers 
and yells every time I go near her. Would 
you give her any more morphine?" 

"Morphine's a thing you can't monkey with 
you know, Doctor. You want to be mighty care- 
ful about that." 

"Yes. I know. How long will that morphine 
last?" 

"That depends on how you use it. It won't 
last long if you use too much and neither will 
she." 

"I mean how long will it last in the system?" 

"O ! Why, three or four hours." 

"Well, I think she don't need no more medi- 
cine." 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 61 

Mary smiled at the double negative and when 
she laughingly spoke of it that night her hus- 
band assured her that that doctor's singleness 
of purpose more than offset his doubleness of 
negative. That he was a fine fellow and a good 
physician just the same. 



One morning in March just as the doctor arose 
from the breakfast table he was called to the 
'phone. 

"Is this Dr. Blank?" 

"Yes." 

"Doctor, will it hurt the baby to bathe it 
every morning?" I've been doing that but 
some of the folks around here say I oughtn't to 
do it ; they say it isn't good for a baby to bathe 
it so often." 

The doctor answered solemnly, "The baby's 
fat and healthy isn't it?" 

"Yes, sir." 

"And pretty?" 

"Yes, sir." 

"Likes to see it's mamma?" 

"You know it." 

"Likes to see its papa?" 

"He does that !" said the young mother. 

"Then ask me next fall if it will hurt to bathe 
the baby every morning." 

"All right, Doctor," laughed the baby's 
mamma. 



62 THE STORY OF A 

"The fools are not all dead yet," said John, as 
he took his hat and departed. On the step he 
turned back and put his head in at the door. 
"Keep an ear out, Mary. I'm likely to be away 
from the office a good bit this morning." 

An hour later a call came. Mary put the ear 
that was "out" to the receiver: 

"It's on North Adams street." 

"All right. I'll be out there after awhile," 
said her husband's placid voice. 

"Don't wait too long. He may die before you 
git here." 

"No, he won't. I'll be along pretty soon." 

"Well, come just as quick as you can." 

"All right," and the listener knew that it 
might be along toward noon before he got there. 

About eleven o'clock the 'phone rang sharply. 

"Is this Dr. Blank's house?" 

"Yes." 

"Is he there?" 

"I saw him pass here about twenty minutes 
ago. I'm sure he'll be back to the office in a lit- 
tle bit." 

My land! I've been here three or four times. 
Looks like I'd ketch him some time." 

"You are at the office then? If you will sit 
down and wait just a little while, he will be in." 

"I come six miles to see him. I supposed of 
course he'd be in some time," grumbled the voice 
(of course a woman's). 

"But when he is called to visit a patient he 
must go, you know," explained Mary. 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 63 

"Y-e-s," admitted the voice reluctantly. "Well, 
I'll wait here a little while longer." 

Ten minutes later Mary rang the office. Her 
husband replied. 

"How long have you been back, John ?" 

"O, five or ten minutes." 

"Did you find a woman waiting for you?" 

"No." 

"Well, I assured her you'd be there in a few 
minutes and she said she'd wait." 

"Do you know who she was ?" 

"No. Some one from the country. She said 
she came six miles to see you and she supposed 
you'd be in your office some time, and that 
sometime was mightly emphatic." 

"O, yes, I know now. She'll be in again," 
laughed the doctor and Mary felt relieved, for 
in the querulous tones of the disappointed 
woman she had read disapproval of the doctor 
and of herself too, as the partner not only of 
his joys and sorrows, but of his laggard gait as 
well. The people who wait for a doctor are not 
apt to consider that a good many more may be 
waiting for him also at that particular moment 
of time. 



64 THE STORY OF A 



CHAPTER VI. 

One of the most discouraging things I have 
encountered is a great blank silence. The doc- 
tor asks his wife to keep a close watch on the 
telephone for a little while, and leaves the office. 
Pretty soon it rings and she goes to answer it. 

"Hello?" Silence. "What is it?" More si- 
lence. She knows that "unseen hands ot spirits" 
did not ring that bell. She knows perfectly well 
that there is a listening ear at the other end of 
the line. But you cannot converse with silence 
any more than you can speak to a man you meet 
on the street if he purposely looks the other way. 

Mary knew that the listening ear belonged to 
someone who recognized that it was the wife 
who answered instead of the doctor, and 
therefore kept silent. She smiled and hung up 
the receiver — sorry not to be able to help her 
husband and to give the needed information to 
the patient. 

But when this had happened several times she 
thought of a more satisfactory way of dealing 
with the situation. She would take down the 
receiver and ask, "What is it?" She would wait 
a perceptible instant and then say distinctly and 
pleasantly, "Doctor Blank will be out of the of- 
fice for about twenty minutes. He asked me to 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 65 

tell you." That never failed to bring an answer, 
a hasty, shame-voiced, "Oh, I — well — thank 
you, Mrs. Blank, I'll call again, then." 



The doctor's absence from town has its tele- 
phonic puzzles. One day during Dr. Blank's 
absence his wife was called to the 'phone. 

"Mrs. Blank, a telegram has just come for the 
doctor. What must I do with it?" It was the 
man at the office who put the question. 

"Do you know what it is, or where it's from ?" 

"I asked the operator and he says it's from 
Mr. Slocum, who is in Cincinnati. He tele- 
graphed the doctor to go and see his wife who 
is sick." 

"Well, take it over to Dr. Brown's office and 
ask him to go and see her." 

About half an hour later the thought of the 
telegram came into her mind. "I wonder if he 
found Dr. Brown in. I'd better find out." 

She rang the office. "Did you find Dr. 
Brown in?" 

"Yes, he was there." 

"And you gave the message to him? ,, 

"Yes, he took it." 

"I hope he went right down?" 

"No, he said he wouldn't go." 

"Wouldn't go!" exclaimed Mary, much aston- 
ished. 

"He said he knew Slocum and he was in all 
probability drunk when he sent the message. " 



66 THE STORY OF A 

"Why, what a queer conclusion to arrive at. 
The doctor may be right but I think we ought 
to know." 

"I called up their house after I came back from 
Dr. Brown's office, but nobody answered. So 
she can't be very sick or she'd be at home." 

Mary put up the receiver hesitatingly. She 
was not satisfied about this matter. She went 
about her work, but her thoughts were on the 
message and the sick wife. Suddenly she 
thought of something — the Slocum children 
were in school. The mother had not been able 
to get to the 'phone to answer it. The thought 
of her lying there alone and helpless was too 
much. Mary went swiftly to the telephone and 
called the office. 

"Johnson, you have to pass Mrs. Slocum's on 
your way to dinner. I think she may have been 
too ill to go to the 'phone. Please stop and find 
out something definite." 

"All right." 

"And let me know as soon as you can. If she 
isn't sick don't tell her anything about the tele- 
gram. Think up some excuse as you go along 
for coming in, in case all is well." 

In about twenty minutes the expected sum- 
mons came. 

"Well, I stopped, Mrs. Blank." 

"What did you find?" 

"Well, I found a hatchet close to Slocum's 
gate." 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 67 

"How lucky !" 

"I took it in to ask if it was theirs." 

"Was it?" 

"No, it wasn't." 

"Who told you so?" 

"Mrs. Slocum, herself, and she's about the 
healthiest looking invalid I've seen lately." 

"I'm much relieved. Thank you, Johnson." 
And as she left the 'phone she meditated within 
herself, "Verily, the tender thoughtfulness of the 
husband drunk exceedeth that of the husband 
sober." 

When night came and Mary was preparing 
for bed she thought, "It will be very unpleasant 
to be called up only to tell people the doctor is 
not here." She rose, went to the 'phone and 
called central. 

"This is Mrs. Blank, central. If anyone 
should want the doctor tonight, or for the next 
two nights, please say he is out of town and will 
not be home until Saturday." 

Then with a delicious sense of freedom she 
went to bed and slept as sweetly as in the long- 
ago when the telephone was a thing un- 
dreamed of. 



The ting-a-ling-ling-ling — came as Mary was 
pouring boiling water into the teapot, just before 
six on a cool July evening. The maid was tem- 
porarily absent and Mary had been getting sup- 



68 THE STORY OF A 

per in a very leisurely way when she saw her 
husband step up on the porch. Then her leisure 
was exchanged for hurry. The doctor's appear- 
ance before meal time was the signal to which 
she responded automatically — he had to catch a 
train — someone must have him right away, or 
what not? She must not keep him waiting a 
minute. She pushed the teapot back on the stove 
and went swiftly to the 'phone. 

"Is this Dr. Blank's office?" asked a disturbed 
feminine voice. 

"No, his residence. He is here. Wait a min- 
ute, please, and I will call him." 

She hurried out to the porch, "Isn't papa 
here?" she asked of her small boy sitting there. 

"He was." 

"Well, where is he now?" 

"I don't know where he is." 

Provoking! She hurried back. He must be 
in the garden. An occasional impulse to hoe 
sometimes came over him (especially if the day 
happened to be Sunday). 

In the kitchen her daughter stood at a table 
cutting the bread for supper. "Go quick, and 
see if papa's in the garden. Tell him to come to 
the 'phone at once." 

Then she hurried back to re-assure the waiting 
one. But what could she tell her? Perhaps the 
doctor was not in the garden. She rushed out 
and beat her daughter in the race toward it. 
She sent her voice ahead, "John!" she called. 

"Yes." 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 69 

"Come to the 'phone this minute." Back she 
ran. Would she still be waiting? 

"Hello." 

"Hello." 

"Yes, the doctor's here. He's in the garden 
but will be in in just a minute. Hold the 'phone 
please." 

"Very well, thank you." 

It was a minute and a half before the doctor 
got there. 

"Hello." No answer. 

"Hello!" Silence. 

"Hello!" Still no reply. The doctor rang 
sharply for central. 

"Who was calling me a minute ago." 

"I don't know — we can't keep track of every- 
body who calls." 

The doctor hung up the receiver with an ex- 
plosive monosyllable. Mary's patience was giv- 
ing out too. "She couldn't wait one half minute. 
I told her you would be here in a minute and it 
took you a minute and a half." 

"She may be waiting at the office, I'll go down 
there." 

"I wouldn't do it," said Mary, warmly. "It's 
much easier for her to stay a half minute at the 
'phone than for you to tramp back to the office." 

But he went. As his wife went back to the 
kitchen her daughter called, "Mother, did you 
take the loaf of bread in there with you?'* 

"Why, no." 



70 THE STORY OF A 

"Well, it's not on the table where I was cut- 
ting it when you sent me after father." 

"It's on the floor!" shouted the small boy, 
peering through the window. "I won't eat any 
of it !" 

"Don't, exquisite child," said his sister, stoop- 
ing over to recover the loaf, dropped in her 
haste. Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. Mary went. 

"Isn't the doctor coming?" 

"He came. He called repeatedly, but got no 
reply." 

"I was right here with my ear to the 'phone 
the whole time." 

"He concluded it might be someone waiting 
for him at the office, so he has gone down there." 

"I'm not there. I'm here at home." 

"Hello," broke in the doctor's voice. 

"O, here you are !" 

"Doctor, I've been taking calomel today and 
then I took some salts and I thoughtlessly dis- 
solved them in some lemonade I had handy!" 

A solemn voice asked, "Have you made your 
will?" 

A little giggle before the patient said "No." 

"You'll have plenty of time. You needn't 
hurry about it." 

"You don't think it will hurt me then?" 

"No. Not a bit." 

"I was afraid the acid might salivate me." 

"Yes, that's an old and popular idea. But it 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 71 

That sounds good, Doctor. I was awfully 
scared. Much obliged. Good-bye." 



A week or two after the above incident the 
doctor was seated at his dinner, a leisurely Sun- 
day dinner. The telephone called and he rose 
and went to it. The usual hush fell upon 
the table in order that he might hear. 

"Is this Dr. Blank?" 

"Yes." 

"Well, Doctor, this is Mrs. Abner. Would it 
be too much trouble for you to step into Hall's 
and ask them to send me up a quart of ice-cream 
for dinner?" 

"Certainly not. A quart?" 

"Yes, please. I'm sorry to bother you with it. 
They ought to have a 'phone." 

"No trouble." 

The doctor hung up the receiver and reached 
for his hat. 

"Why, John, you surely can finish your dinner 
before you go !" exclaimed Mary. 

"Then I'd spoil Mrs. Abner's dinner." 

"Mrs. Abner!" 

"Yes, she wants a quart of ice-cream for 
dinner." 

"I'd like to know what you've got to do with 
it," said Mary tartly. 

"She thinks I'm at the office." 

"And the office is next door to Hall's and 



72 THE STORY OF A 

Hall's have no 'phone," said Mary smiling. "Of 
course you must go. Wouldn't Mrs. Abner feel 
mortified though if she knew you had to leave 
your home in the midst of dinner to order her 
ice-cream. But do hurry back, John." 

"Maybe I'd better stay there till the dinner 
hour is well over," laughed John. "Every now 
and then someone wants me to step into Hall's 
and order up something." 

He went good-naturedly away and his wife 
looked after him marveling, but withal admiring. 



The doctor and his wife had been slumbering 
peacefully for an hour or two. Then came a 
loud ring and they were wide awake at once. 

"That wasn't the telephone, John, it was the 
door-bell." 

The doctor got into his dressing-gown and 
went to the door. 

His wife heard a man's voice, then her hus- 
band reply, then the door shut. She lay back on 
her pillow but it was evident John was not com- 
ing back. She must have dozed, for it seemed 
to her a long time had gone by when she started 
to hear a noise in the other room. John had not 
yet got off. 

"You have to go some place, do you?" she 
called. 

"Yes, — just a little way. Look out for the 
'phone, Mary. I think Til have to go down to 
Hanson's tonight, to meet the stork." 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 73 

"But how can I get word to you ? They have 
no 'phone or that man wouldn't have come 
after you." 

"Well, I have promised Hanson and I'll have 
to go there. If he 'phones before I get back 
tell him he'll have to come down to Stetson's 
after me. Or, you might wake one of the boys 
and send him over." 

"I'd rather try to wake Rip Van Winkle," said 
Mary, in a tone that settled it. 

In about an hour the doctor was back and 
snuggling down under the covers. 

"They've got a fine boy over to Stetson's," he 
announced to his sleepy wife. 

"They have!" she exclaimed, almost getting 
awake. Again they slept. 

Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. 
Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. 

"That's Hanson," exclaimed the doctor spring- 
ing up and groping his way to the 'phone. 

"Yes." 

"Out where?" 

"Smith's on Parks avenue? Not Smith's? 

.... I understand — a little house farther down 

that street Yes, I'll come O, as soon 

as I can dress and get there." 

Mary heard, but when he had gone, was soon 
in a deep sleep. 

By and by she found herself flinging off the 
covers and hurrying guiltily toward the sum- 
moning tyrant, her subconscious self telling her 
that this was the third peal. 



74 THE STORY OF A 

"Hello." 

"Is the doctor there, Mrs. Blank?" 

"No, he is over at Stetson's. He said if you 
'phoned to tell you you would have to come there 
as they have no 'phone." 

"Wait a minute, Mrs. Blank," said the voice 
of central, some one is trying to speak — " 

"What have I said!" thought Mary suddenly, 
thoroughly awake. "He got back from Stetson's 
and went to another place. But I don't know 
what place nor where it is." 

The kindly voice of central went on : 

"It's the doctor who is talking, Mrs. Blank. 
I understand now. He says if that message 
comes you are to 'phone him at James Smith's 
on Parks avenue." 

Mary looked at the clock. "So he's been 
there all this time. That stork is a little too 
busy tonight," she thought as she went shiver- 
ing back to bed. 

Toward daylight she was roused by the return 
of her husband, who announced a new daughter 
in the world and then they went to sleep. The 
next morning she said, "John, I've just thought 
of something. Why didn't you have central 
'phone you at Smith's if Hanson called and save 
me all that bother?" 

"I guess it's because I'm so used to bothering 
you Mary, that I didn't think of it." 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 75 

Mary was upstairs cleaning house most vigor- 
ously when the ring came. She stopped and 
listened. It came again — three. She set the 
dust pan down and went. 

'Til have to be out for an hour or more, 
Mary," said the doctor. 

"I heard that sigh," he laughed, "but it won't 
be very hard to sort of keep an ear on the 'phone, 
will it? Johnson may get in soon and then it 
won't be necessary." 

"Very well, then, John," and she went up- 
stairs, leaving the doors open behind her. 

She had just reached the top when she had to 
turn about and retrace her steps. 

"Hello." No answer. 

"Is someone calling Dr. Blank's house or 
office?" 

"I rang your 'phone by mistake," said central. 
Mary trudged up the stairs again. "This is 
more tiresome than cleaning house," she said to 
herself as she went along. 

In twenty minutes the summons came. She 
leaned her broom against the wall and went 
down. 

"O, this is Mrs. Blank. I'm very sorry to 
have put you to this trouble — I wanted the 
doctor." 

She recognized the voice of her old pastor for 
whom she had a most kindly regard. 

"He is out, but will be back within half an 
hour now, Mr. Rutledge." 



76 THE STORY OF A 

"Thank you, I'll call again, but I wonder that 
you knew my voice/' Mary laughed. 

"I haven't heard it for awhile, but maybe I'll 
be at church next Sunday, if minding the tele- 
phone doesn't make me feel too wicked." 

"It's the wicked that church is for — come by 
all means." 

"I didn't mean to detain you, Mr. Rutledge. 
It is restful, though, after dragging one's weary 
feet down to the 'phone to hear something be- 
side all the ills that flesh is heir to. Come to 
see us soon — one day next week." 

Once more she wended her way upstairs and 
in about fifteen minutes came the ting-a-ling-a- 
ling-a-ling. "I surrender!" she declared. 

When she had gone down and put the receiver 
to her ear her husband's voice spoke kindly, 

"I'm back, Mary, you're released." 

"Thank you, John, you are very thoughtful," 
and she smiled as she took off her sun-bonnet 
and sat herself down. "Not another time will 
I climb those stairs this morning." 



Mary sat one evening dreamily thinking about 
them — these messages that came every day, ev- 
ery day ! 

Doctor, will it hurt Jennie to eat some toma- 
toes this morning — she craves them so? 

Will is a great deal better. Can he have some 
ice-cream for dinner? 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 77 

I can hardly manage Henry any longer, Doc- 
tor, he's determined he will have more to eat. 
Can I begin giving him a little more today ? 

Lemonade won't hurt Helen, will it? She 
wants some. 

Doctor, I forget how many drops of that clear 

medicine I am to give Ten, you say ? Thank 

you. 

Dr. Blank, is it after meals or before that the 

dark medicine is to be given I thought so, 

but I wanted to be sure. 

We are out of those powders you left. Do 
you think we will need any more?. . . . Then I'll 
send down for them. 

How long will you be in the office this morn- 
ing, Doctor? Very well, I'll be down in 

about an hour. I want you to see my throat. 

You wanted me to let you know how Johnny 
is this morning. I don't think he has any fever 
now and he slept all night, so I guess you won't 
need to come down today. 

Dr. Blank, I've got something coming on my 
finger. Do you suppose it's a felon?.... You 
can tell better when you see it?. . . . Well, I sup- 
pose you can. I'll be down at the office pretty 
soon and then I want you to tell me it's not a 
felon. 

Mary seems a good deal better this morning, 
but she still has that pain in her side. 



78 THE STORY OF A 

Doctor, I don't believe Joe is as well as he 
was last night. I think you had better come 
down. 

As these old, old stories came leisurely into 
Mary's thoughts the telephone rang three times. 
She rose from her chair before the fire and went 
to answer it. 

"Is this Dr. Blank's office?" 

"No, his residence." 

"Is the doctor there?" 

"No, but he will be down on the seven o'clock 
train." 

"And it's now not quite six. This is Mr. An- 
drews." 

Mary knew the name and the man. 

"My wife is sick and I want to get a pint of 
alcohol for her." 

"An old subterfuge," thought Mary, "I'm 
afraid he wants it for himself." She knew that 
he was often under its influence. 

"I can't get it without a prescription from a 
physician, you know. She needs it right away." 

"The thirst is on him," thought our listener, 
pityingly. 

The voice went on, "Mrs. Blank, couldn't you 
just speak to the druggist about it so I could 
get it right away?" 

"Mr. Andrews," she said hastily, "the drug- 
gist would pay no attention to me. I'm not a 
physician, you know. The doctor will be here 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 79 

in an hour — see him," and she hurried the re- 
ceiver into its place, anxious to get away from 
it. This was a story that was entirely new to 
her. Never before had she been asked to pro- 
cure a prescription for alcohol or any of its at- 
tendant spirits. She liked the old stories best. 



The doctor had been to the city and had got 
home at four o'clock in the morning. He had 
had to change cars in the night and consequently 
had had little sleep. When the door-bell rang 
his wife awakened instantly at the expected sum- 
mons and rose to admit him. In a little while 
both were fast asleep. The wife, about a half 
hour later, found herself struggling to speak to 
somebody about something, she did not know 
what. But when the second long peal came 
from the 'phone she was fully awakened. How 
she hated to rouse the slumberer at her side. 

"John," she called softly. He did not move. 

"John!" a little louder. He stirred slightly, 
but slept on. 

"John, John!" 

"Huh-h?" 

"The telephone." 

He threw back the covers, and rising, stumbled 
to the 'phone. 

"Hello." 

The voice of a little boy came to his half- 
awakened ear. 



8o 



THE STORY OF A 



"Say, Pa, / can't sell these papers an' git 
through in time fer school." 

"Yes, you can!" roared a voice. You jist want 
to fool around." The doctor went back to bed. 

"Wasn't the message for you?" inquired his 
wife. "What a shame to rouse you from your 
sleep for nothing." 

The doctor told her what the message was and 
was back in slumberland in an incredibly short 
space of time. Not so his wife. She was too 
thoroughly awake at last and dawn was begin- 
ning to peep around the edges of the window 
shades. She would not court slumber now but 
would lie awake with her own thoughts which 
were very pleasant thoughts this morning. By 
and by she rose softly, dressed and went out onto 
the veranda and looked long into the reddening 
eastern sky. Ever since she could remember she 
had felt this keen delight at the aspect of the 
sky in the very early morning. She stood for 
awhile, drinking in the beauty and the peaceful- 
ness of it all. Then she went in to her awaken- 
ing household, glad that the little boy had 
'phoned his "Pa" and by some means had got 
her too. 



One midsummer night a tiny ringing came 
faintly and pleasantly into Mary's dreams. Not 
till it came the second or third time did she 
awaken to what it was. Then she sat up in bed 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 81 

calling her husband, who had just awakened too 
and sprung out of bed. Dazed, he stumbled 
about and could not find his way. With Mary's 
help he got his bearings and the next minute his 
thunderous "Hello" greeted her ears. 

"Yes." 

"Worse tonight? In what way?" 

An instant's silence. "Mrs. Brownson?" Si- 
lence. "Mrs. Brownson !" Silence. 

"Damn that woman! She's rung off." 

"Well, don't swear into the 'phone, John. It's 
against the rules. Besides, she might hear you." 

The doctor was growling his way to his 
clothes. 

"I suppose I've got to go down there," was 
all the answer he made. When he was dressed 
and the screen had banged behind him after the 
manner of screens, Mary settled herself to sleep 
which came very soon. But she was soon routed 
out of it. She went to the 'phone, expecting 
to hear a querulous woman's voice asking, "Has 
the doctor started yet?" and her lips were fram- 
ing the old and satisfactory reply, "Yes, he must 
be nearly there now," when a man's voice asked, 
"Is this Dr. Blank's residence?" 

"Yes." 

"Is the doctor there?" 

"No, but he will be back in about twenty min- 
utes." 

"Will you please tell him to come to J. H. 
Twitchell's?" 



82 THE STORY OF A 

"Yes, I'll send him right down." 

"Thank you." 

She went back to her bed room then, turning, 
retraced her steps. The doctor could come home 
by way of Twitchell's as their home was not a 
great distance from the Brownson's. 

She rang the Brownson's and after a little 
while a voice answered. 

"Is this Mrs. Brownson?" 

"Yes." 

"May I speak to Dr. Blank. I think he must 
be there now." 

"He's been here. He's gone home." 

Mary knew by the voice that its owner had 
not enjoyed getting out of bed. "I wonder how 
she would like to be in my place," she thought, 
smiling. She dared not trust herself to her pillow. 
She might fall asleep and not waken when her 
husband came in. She wondered what time it 
was. Up there on the wall the clock was tick- 
ing serenely away — she had only to turn the 
button beside her to find out. But she did not 
turn it. In the sweet security of the dark she 
felt safe. In one brief flash of light some prowl- 
ing burglar might discover her. 

She sat down by the open window and 
looked up into the starlit sky. They were 
out tonight in countless numbers. Over 
there toward the northwest, lying along 
the tops of the trees was the Great Dipper. 
Wasn't it? Surely that particular curve 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 83 

in the handle was not to be found in any other 
constellation. She tried to see the Dipper itself 
but a cherry tree near her window blotted it out. 
Bend and peer as she might the branches inter- 
vened. It was tantalizing. She rose irresolute. 
Should she step out doors where the cherry tree 
would not be in the way? Not for a thousand 
dippers ! She walked to another window. That 
view shut even the handle out. She looked for 
the Pleiades. They were not in the section of 
sky visible from the window where she stood. 
She turned and listened. Did she hear foot- 
steps down the walk? She ought to be hearing 
her husband's by this time. He could not be 
walking at his usual gait. There he came ! She 
went to the door looked through the screen and 
halted him as he drew near the steps. 

"John, you'll have to take another trip. Mr. 
Twitchell has 'phoned for you." 

He turned and was soon out of sight. "Now ! 
I can go to bed with a clear conscience," and 
Mary sought her pillow. But she had better 
stay awake until he had time to get there lest Mr. 
Twitchell should 'phone again. In five or ten 
minutes the danger would be over. She waited. 
At last she closed her eyes to sleep. But what 
would be the use? In twenty minutes more her 
husband would come in and rouse her out of it. 
She had better just keep awake till he got back. 
And the next thing Mary heard was a snore. She 
opened her eyes to find it was broad daylight and 
her husband was sleeping soundly beside her. 



84 THE STORY OF A 



CHAPTER VII. 

One afternoon in June Mary went into her 
husband's office. 

"Has The Record come?" she asked. 

"Yes, it's on the table in the next room." 

She went into the adjoining room and seated 
herself by the table. Taking up The Record, 
she turned to the editorial page, but before she 
could begin reading she heard a voice in the 
office say, "How do you do, Doctor?" 

"How do you do, Mr. Jenkins. Take a seat." 

"No, I guess I'll not sit down. I just wanted 
to get — a prescription." 

"The baby's better, isn't it?" 

"Oh, the baby's all right, but I want a pre- 
scription for myself." 

"What sort of prescription?" 

"I have to take a long ride in the morning, 
driving cattle, and I want a prescription for a 
pint of whiskey." 

Mary listened for her husband's reply. It 
came. 

"Jenkins, I have taken many a long ride 
through dust and heat, through rain and snow 
and storm, and I never yet have had to take any 
whiskey along." 

"Well, I have a little trouble with my heart 
and—" 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 85 

"The trouble's in your head. If you'd throw 
away that infernal pipe — " 

"Oh, it's no use to lecture me on that any 
more." 

"Very well, your tobacco may be worth more 
to you than your heart." 

"Well, will you give me that prescription?" 

"Certainly I won't. You don't need whiskey 
and you'll not get it from me." 

"Go to h-11 !" 

"All right, I'll meet you there." At which 
warm farewell between these two good friends, 
Mary leaned back in her chair and laughed si- 
lently. Then she mused: "People will not be 
saved from themselves. If only they would be, 
how much less of sin and sickness and sorrow 
there would be in trie world." 

Presently the doctor came in. 

"I have a trip to make tonight, Mary. How 
would you like a star-light drive?" Mary said 
she would like it very much indeed. 

Accordingly, at sunset the doctor drove up and 
soon they were out in the open country. Chat- 
ting of many things they drove along and by and 
by Mary's eyes were attracted to a beautiful 
castle up in the clouds in the west, on a great 
golden rock jutting out into the blue. Far be- 
low was a grand woman's form in yellow float- 
ing robes. She stood with face upturned and 
arms extended in an attitude of sorrow as if 
she had been banished from her father's house. 



86 THE STORY OF A 

There comes the father now. Slowly, ma- 
jestically, an old man with flowing beard of gold 
moves toward the edge of the great rock. Now 
he has reached it. He bends his head and looks 
below. The attitude of the majestic woman has 
changed to that of supplication. And now the 
father stretches down forgiving arms and the 
queenly daughter bows her head against the 
mighty wall and weeps in gladness. Now castle 
and rock, father and daughter slowly interchange 
places and vanish from her sight. The gold 
turns to crimson, then fades to gray. Just before 
her up there in the clouds is a huge lion, couch- 
ant. See! he is going to spring across the pale 
blue chasm to the opposite bank. If he fails he 
will come right down into the road — "Oh !" 

"What is it?" asked the doctor, looking 
around, and Mary told him with a rather foolish 
smile. 

The twilight deepened into dusk and the notes 
of a whippoorwill came to them from a distance. 
"You and I must have nothing but sweet 
thoughts right now, John, because then we'll get 
to keep them for a year." She quoted : 

"'Tis said that whatever sweet feeling 
May be throbbing within the fond heart, 
When listening to a whippoorwill s-pieling, 
For a twelvemonth will never depart." 

"Spieling doesn't seem specially in the whip- 
poorwill's line." 

It's exactly in his line. Years ago when I was 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 87 

a little girl he proved it. One evening at dusk 
I was sitting in an arbor when he, not suspecting 
my presence, alighted within a few feet of me 
and began his song. It was wonderfully interest- 
ing to watch his little throat puff and puff with the 
notes as they poured forth, but the thing that as- 
tounded me was the length of time he sang with- 
out ever pausing for breath. And so he is a 
genuine spieler. I will add, however, that the 
line is 'When listening to a whippoorwill sing- 
ing.' But my literary conscience will never let 
me rhyme singing with feeling, hence the sud- 
den change." 

"Now I'll speak my piece," announced the 
doctor : 

"De frogs in de pon' am a singin' all de night, 

Wid de hallelujah campmeetin' tune; 
An' dey all seem to try wid deir heart, soul and 
might 
To tell us ob de comin' of de June." 

"Aren't they having a hallelujah chorus over 
in that meadow, though !" 

Darkness settled over the earth. The willow 
trees, skirting the road for a little distance, lifted 
themselves in ghostly tracery against the starlit 
sky. A soft breeze stirred their branches like 
the breath of a gentle spirit abiding there. They 
passed a cozy farmhouse nestled down among 
tall trees. Through the open door they could 
see a little white-robed figure being carried to 
bed in its father's arms, while the mother crooned 
a lullaby over the cradle near. 



88 THE STORY OF A 

For a long time they drove in silence. Mary 
knew that her husband was in deep thought. Of 
what was he thinking? The pretty home scene 
in the farm house had sent him into a reverie. 
He went back five or six years to a bright spring 
day. He was sitting alone in his office when an 
old man, a much respected farmer, came in 
slowly, closed the door behind him and sat down. 
The doctor who knew him quite well saw that 
he was troubled and asked if there was anything 
he could do for him. The old man leaned his 
head on his hand but did not reply. It seemed 
that no words would come in which to tell his 
errand. 

Puzzled and sympathetic the doctor sat silent 
and waited. In a little while the farmer drew 
his chair very near to that O'f the doctor's and 
said in a low voice, "Doctor, I'm in deep trouble. 
I come to you because you are one of my best 
friends. You have a chance to prove it now 
such as you never had before in all the years 
you've been our doctor." 

"Tell me your trouble and if I can help you, 
I will certainly do so." 

"It's Mary. She's gone wrong, and the dis- 
grace will kill her mother if she finds it out." 

For an instant the doctor did not speak ; then 
he asked, "Are you sure that this is true?" 

"Yes. She came to me last night and nestled 
down in my arms, just as she's done every night 
since she was a baby. She cried like her heart 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 89 

would break and then she said, "Father, I must 
tell you, but don't tell mother ; and then she told 
me." 

The old man, white and trembling, looked be- 
seechingly at the doctor. 

"Doctor, this must not be. You must stop it 
before there is any breath of scandal. Oh, for a 
minute last night I wanted to kill her." 

The doctor's face was stern. "If you had 
killed her your crime would have been far less 
hellish than the one you ask me to commit." 

The old man bowed his head upon his hands. 
"You will not help me," he groaned. 

The doctor rose and walked the floor. "No, 
sir," he said, "I will not stain my soul with mur- 
der for you or any other man." He went to the 
window and stood looking out upon the street 
below. Presently he said, "Mr. Stirling, will 
you come here a minute?" The old man rose 
and went. "Do you see that little boy skipping 
along down there?" 

"Yes, I see him." 

"If I should go down these stairs, seize him 
and dash his brains out against that building, 
what would you think of me?" 

"I'd think you were a devil." 

"Yet he would have a chance for his life. He 
could cry out, or the passersby might see me and 
interpose, while that you ask me to destroy is — " 

"There's one thing I'll do," said the old man 
fiercely. "I'll kill Ben Morely before this day 



9 o THE STORY OF A 

is over!" He seized his hat and started toward 
the door. 

''Wait a minute !" said the doctor quickly. 
"It's Ben Morely is it? I know him. I would 
not have thought him capable of this/' 

"He's been coming to see Mary steady for 
more than a year and they were to have been 
married three months ago but they quarreled 
and Mary told me last night that he was going 
away the last of this week. She is as good and 
sweet a girl as ever lived. She never kept com- 
pany with anybody else and she thought the 
world of him. The damned villain has got 
around her with his honey words and now he 
proposes to leave her to face it alone. But I'll 
kill him as sure as the sun shines." 

"Sit down," said the doctor, laying a hand on 
the excited man's arm and forcing him into a 
chair. 

"Let me tell you what to do. Young Morely's 
father is a good and sensible man and will take 
the right view of it. Go straight to him and tell 
him all about it and my word for it, he will see 
that they are married right away. He is able to 
help them along and will make it to his son's 
advantage to stay here rather than go away. He 
will advise him right. Have no fear." The 
old man wrung the doctor's hand in silence and 
went out. 

Several days later the doctor was looking over 
the papers published in the town and read in 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 91 

the list of marriage licenses the names, "Benja- 
min Morely, aged twenty-four, Mary Stirling, 
aged eighteen." 

And that is why the scene in the farmhouse 
this summer night had sent him back into the 
past, for it was the home of Benjamin and Mary 
Morely, and it was a happy home. These two 
lives had come together and flowed on in such 
harmony and helpfulness and rectitude before 
the world that the stain had been wiped out. 
For a merciless world can be merciful sometimes 
if it will only stop to remember that long ago 
a compassionate Voice said, Go and sin no more. 

The doctor's reverie came to an end for he had 
reached his destination — a large white house 
standing very close to the road. 

"Don't talk to me while you are hitching the 
horse," Mary whispered, "then they won't know 
there is anyone with you. I don't want to go in 
— I want to see the moon come up." 

The doctor took his case and went inside. 
Mary sat in the buggy and listened. The neigh- 
ing of a horse far down the road and the barking 
of a dog in the distance were the only sounds 
she heard. How still and cool it was after the 
heat of the day. A wandering breeze brought 
the sweet perfume of dewy clover fields. She 
looked across the intervening knoll to the east. 
The tree that crowned its summit stood outlined 
against the brightening sky. She was sitting 
very near the open kitchen window and now 



92 THE STORY OF A 

saw the family taking their places around the 
supper table. She felt a little uncomfortable and 
as if she were trespassing on their privacy. But 
they did not know of her proximity and she 
could only sit still in the friendly cover of the 
darkness. How good the ham smelled and the 
potatoes and the coffee. 

A pretty home-scene! 

The father at the head of the table, the mother 
opposite with four sturdy boys between them, 
two on each side. The father looked around the 
board. Stillness settled down upon them, and 
then he bowed his head. The mother, too, bowed 
her head. The boys looked down. 

"Our heavenly Father, we thank Thee for 
these evening blessings — " the boys looked up 
and four forks started simultaneously for the 
meat platter. Every fork impaled its slice. Mary 
gasped. She crammed her handkerchief into her 
mouth to shut off the laughter that almost 
shouted itself before she could stop it. 

The oldest boy, a burly fellow of fifteen, looked 
astonished and then sheepish. The other three 
looked defiance at him. Each sat erect in per- 
fect silence and held his slice to the platter with 
a firm hand. Mary, almost suffocating with 
laughter which must be suppressed, watched 
anxiously for the denouement. The blessing 
went on. The boys evidently knew all its stages. 
As it advanced there was a tightening of the 
tension and at the welcome "amen" there was a 
grand rake-off. 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 93 

At the commotion of the sudden swipe the 
father and mother looked up in amazement. 

''Boys, boys! what do you mean!" exclaimed 
the mother. 

"We got even with Mr. Jake that time." It 
was the second boy who spoke. 

"We got ahead of him," said the third. "He 
didn't get the biggest piece this time." 

"No, / got it myself," said the fourth. 

"Well, I'm scandalized," said the mother, 
looking across the table at her husband. 

"Well, Mother, I'll tell you how it was," said 
the second boy. "Last night I looked up before 
Father was through with the blessing and I saw 
Jake with his fork in the biggest piece of ham. 
You and Father didn't notice and so he was it. 
I'll bet he's been at it a good while, too." 

"I've not, either," said the accused. 

"I told Bob and Jim about it and we con- 
cluded we'd take a hand in it tonight." 

"Well, let this be the last of it," said the father 
with mild sternness. "We'll try to have ham 
enough for all of you without sneaking it. If 
not, Jacob can have his mother's share and 
mine." 

The trio of boys grinned triumphantly at the 
discomfited Jake, then, the little flurry over, all 
fell to eating with a will. 

The doctor's voice came to Mary from the 
room of the patient. 

"You're worth a dozen dead women yet," it 



94 THE STORY OF A 

said. Then a high pitched woman's voice, "I'll 
tell you what Mary Ann says she thinks about 
it." 

"Has she been here today ?" If Mary Ann had 
been there the unfavorable condition of the pa- 
tient was explained. 

"Yes, she just went away. She says she be-, 
lieves you're just keepin' Ellen down so you can 
get a big bill out of her." 

"The doctor was fixing up powders and went 
placidly on till he got through, then he said 
"Mary Ann has a better opinion of me than I 
thought she had. It takes a mighty good doctor 
to do that. That's a very old song but there are 
a few people in the world that like to sing it 
yet. They don't know that there isn't a doctor 
in the world that knows enough to do a thing 
like that even if he wanted to. Nature would 
beat him every time if they gave her a chance." 

Mary heard the doctor give his instructions 
and then he came out. As they drove off she 
asked, "You came pretty near catching a tartar, 
didn't you?" 

"Oh, that one is all right. It's her sister 
that's always raising the devil." 

"Look ! isn't she lovely, John ?" 

"Isn't who lovely?" asked the doctor, looking 
back at the house in some surprise. 

"The gentle Shepherdess of Night," Mary an- 
swered, her eyes on the moon just rising over 
the distant treetops. 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 95 

"She's getting ready to 'lead her flocks 
through the fields of blue/ " 

"How very poetical we are." 

"Only an echo from a little song I used to sing 
when I was a little girl." 

"Get up, my steeds," urged the doctor, "we 
must be getting back"; and they sped swiftly 
homeward through the soft summer night. 



96 



THE STORY OF A 



CHAPTER VIII. 



Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. 
Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. 

"Hello." 

"Is this the doctor's office?" 

"This is his residence." 

"Pshaw! I wanted his office." 

"The doctor 'phoned me about ten minutes ago 
that he would be out for half an hour and asked 
me to answer the 'phone in his absence," Mary 
explained, pleasantly. 

"Oh," said the voice, somewhat mollified, I'll 
just call him up when he gets back. You say 
he'll be back in half an hour?" 

"In about that time." 

She went back to her work, which happened 
to be upstairs this morning, leaving the doors 
ajar behind her that she might hear the 'phone. 
In two minutes she was summoned down. 

"What is it?" 

"Is this the doctor's office?" 

"No, the residence." 

"I rang for the office, sorry to have troubled 
you, Mrs. Blank," said a man's voice. 

"We are connected and when the doctor is 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 97 

out he expects me to be bell-boy," said Mary, 
recognizing the voice. 

"I see. Will you please tell the doctor 
when he comes that my little boy is sick this 
morning and I want him to come down. Will 
he be back soon?" 

"In a few minutes, I think." 

She sat down by the fire. No use to go back 
upstairs till she had delivered the message. This 
was. a pleasing contrast to the other ; Mr. Owen 
had volunteered his message as if she really had 
a right to know and deliver it. 

Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. 
Mary felt reluctant to answer it — it sounded so 
like the first. And it was not the house call this 
time, but two rings which undeniably meant the 
office. But she must be true to the trust reposed 
in her. She went to the 'phone and softly taking 
down the receiver, listened; perhaps the doctor 
had got back and would answer it himself. Fer- 
vently she hoped so. But there was only silence 
at her ear, and the ever present far-off clack of 
attenuated voices. The silence seemed to bristle. 
But there was nothing for our listener to do but 
thrust herself into it. 

"Hello," she said, very gently. 

"O, I've got you again, have I! I know I 
rung the office this time, for I looked in the book 
to see. How does it happen I get the house?" 
Ill temper was manifest in every word. 

"The office and residence are connected," ex- 



98 THE STORY OF A 

plained Mary, patiently, "and when the 'phone 
rings while the doctor is out, he asks me to an- 
swer it for him." 

"I don't see what good that does." 

"It doesn't do any good when people do not 
care to leave a message," said Mary quietly. 

"Well, I'd ruther deliver my message to him." 

"Certainly. And I would much rather you 
would. I can at least say about what time he ex- 
pects to return." 

"You said awhile ago he'd be back in half an 
hour and he's not back yet." 

The doctor's wife knew that she was held re- 
sponsible for the delay. She smiled and glanced 
at the clock. 

"It is just three minutes past the half hour," 
she said. 

"Well, we're in an awful hurry for him. I'll 
ring agin d'reckly." 

In five minutes a ring came again. Surely he 
would be there now, thought his wife, but she 
must go to the 'phone. She listened. Silence. 
Then the bell pealed sharply forth again. She 
decided to change her tactics and put the other 
woman on the defensive: 

"Well !" she said impatiently, "I'm very sorry 
to have to answer you again but — " 

"Is the doctor there?" asked a sweet, new 
voice. "Pardon me for interrupting you, but I'm 
very anxious." 

"He will be at the office in just a few minutes," 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 99 

Mary answered, very gently indeed. She real- 
ized now that one cannot "monkey" with the 
telephone. 

"Will you please tell him to come at once?" 
and she gave the street and number. 

"I shall send him at once." 

"Thank you, good-bye." 

Before Mary could seat herself, the expected 
ring came in earnest. She answered it meekly. 

"O, good gracious! hain't he got there yet — ?" 

"Not yet," said Mary, offering nothing further. 

"Well, I've jist got to have a doctor. I'll git 
some one else." The threat in the tone made 
our listener smile. 

"I think it would be a good thing to do," she 
said. 

A pause. Then a voice with softening accents. 

"But I'd lots ruther have Dr. Blank." No 
reply. 

"Are ye there yit, Mrs. Blank?" 

"Yes. I am here." 

"He'll surely be back in a little bit now, won't 
he?" 

"I think so." 

"Won't you tell 'im to come down to Sairey 
Tucker's ? I'm her sister and she's bad sick." 

"If you will tell me where you live I will send 
him." 

"He knows — he's been here." 

"Very well," and she rang off. 

With three messages hanging over her head 
and her conscience, she could not go upstairs to 



ioo THE STORY OF A 

her work. She must dawdle about at this or that 
'till the doctor returned. After awhile she went 
to the 'phone and called the office. No reply. 
How she longed to deliver those messages. She 
dreaded any more calls from the waiting ones. 
She waited a few minutes then rang again. 
Thank fortune! Her husband's response is in 
her ear, the messages are delivered and she goes 
singing up the stairs. 



Ting-a-ling-ling-ling-ling-ling. 

It was the telephone on the Doctor's office table 
and a tail young fellow was ringing it. When he 
got the number and asked, "Is this you, Fanny ?" 
his face took on an expression good to see. It 
was Fanny, and he settled back on one elbow and 
asked, "What you doing, Fanny?" 

"Nothing, just now. What you doing?" 

"Something a good deal better than that." 

"What is it?" 

"It's talking to you." 

"Oh !" 

"Is that all you have to say about it?" his voice 
was growing tender. 

"Now, Tom, don't go to making love to me 
over the 'phone." 

"How can I help it, sweetheart?" 

"Where are you, anyway ?" 

"I'm in Dr. Blank's office." 

"Good gracious! is he there? I'll ring off — 
good-bye." 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 101 

"Wait! Fanny — Fanny!" 

Fanny was waiting, but how could a mere 
man know that. He rang the number again 
with vehemence." 

"Now, Tom Laurence, I want you to quit go- 
ing into people's offices and talking to me this 
way." 

"Don't you think my way is nicer than yours 
— huh?" 

The circumflexes were irresistible." 

"Well, tell me, Tom, is Dr. Blank there?" 

"No, honey. He's away in the back room busy 
with another patient. He can't hear." 

"Another patient ? Why, Tom, you're not sick, 
are you — huh ?" 

Fanny's circumflexes were quite as circumflex- 
ible as Tom's and a thrill went down the young 
giant's spine. 

"No, but I wish I was !" 

At this juncture the man who could not hear 
came in with a face as grave and non-committal 
as the Sphinx, and the young man asked through 
the 'phone in brisk, cheery tones, "How are you 
this morning?" then added in a whisper, "He's 
here now." 

"Is he? Don't talk foolish then. Why, I'm 
not very well." 

"What's the matter?" 

"I burned my eye." 

"Burned your eye! Confound it! How did 
you do it?" 



102 THE STORY OF A 

"With a curling iron." 

"Throw the darned thing away." He turned 
from the telephone and said, "Doctor, a young 
lady has burned her eye. I want you to go out 
there right away." 

"Where shall I go?" asked the grave doctor. 

"I guess you know," and he grinned. 

"All right. I'll go pretty soon." 

"Don't be too long. Charge it to me." 

"Fanny," he said, turning back to the 'phone, 
but Fanny had gone. 

And soon with a smile that had memories in 
it the doctor took his case and left the office, the 
young man at his side. 



Ting-a-ling-ling-ling-ling-ling. 

Mary, from the living room, heard her hus- 
band's voice: 

"What is it?" 

"Yes." 

"They won't? O, I suppose so if nobody else 
will. I'll be up there in a little bit." He mut- 
tered something, took his hat and went. 

When he came back, he said, "This time I had 
to help the dead." 

"To help the dead !" exclaimed Mary. 

"Yes. To help a dead woman into her coffin. 
Everybody was afraid to touch her." 

"Why?" 

"The report got out that she died of smallpox. 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 103 

I only saw her once and could not be sure, but 
to be on the safe side I insisted that every pre- 
caution be taken — hence the scare/' 

"But how could you lift the body without 
help?" 

"Oh, I managed it somehow. Just the same 
I'd rather minister to the living," said John, to 
which Mary gave vigorous assent. 



"Old Mr. Vintner has just been 'phoning for 
you in a most imperious way," announced Mary 
as the doctor came in at the door. 

"Yes, old skinflint! The maid at his house is 
very sick and he's so afraid they'll have to take 
care of her that he's determined to send her 
home when she can't go. She has pneumonia. 
She lives miles out in the country — " 

Ting-a-ling-ling-ling-ling. 

"Yes." 

"Now see here, Vintner. Listen to me." 

"Yes, I know. But a man's got to be human. 
I tell you you can't send her out in this cold. 
It's outrageous to — " 

"Yes, I know all that, too. But it won't be 
long — the crisis will come in a day or two now 
and — " 

"Damn it ! Listen. Now stop that and listen. 
Don't you attempt it ! That girl will be to drag 
ofr" if you do, I tell you — " 

"All right then. That sounds more like it," 
and he hung up the receiver. 



104 THE STORY OF A 

Mary looked up. "You are not very elegant in 
your discourse at times, John, but I'm glad you 
beat," she said. 



One evening the doctor came in and walked 
hurriedly into the dining-room. As he was 
passing the telephone it rang sharply in his ear. 

"What is it ?" he asked, hastily putting up the 
receiver. 

An agitated voice said, "Oh, Doctor, I've just 
given my little girl a teaspoonf ul of carbolic acid I 
Quick ! What must I do !" 

"Give her some whiskey at once; then a tea- 
spoonful of mustard in hot water. I'll be right 
down," and turning he went swiftly out. When 
he came back an hour or two later he said: 
"The mother got the wrong bottle. A very few 
minutes would have done the work. The tele- 
phone saved the child's life. This is a glorious 
age in which we are living, Mary." 

"And to think that some little children play- 
ing with tin cans with a string stretched be- 
tween them, gave to the world its first telephone 
message." 

"Yes, I've heard that. It may or may not be 
true. Now let's have supper." 

"Supper awaits Mr. Non-Committal-Here-As- 
Ever," said Mary as she laid her arm in her 
husband's and they went toward the dining-room 
together. 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 105 

One evening the doctor and Mary sat chatting 
with a neighbor who had dropped in. 

"I want to use your 'phone a minute, please," 
said a voice. 

"Very well," said Mary, and Mrs. X. stepped 
in, nodded to the trio, walked to the telephone 
as one quite accustomed, and rang. 

"I want Dr. Brown's office," she said. In a 
minute came the hello. 

"Is this Dr. Brown? My little boy is sick. 
I want you to come out to see him this evening. 
This is Mrs. X. Will you be right out ? 

"All right. Good-bye." And she departed. 

The eyes of the visitor twinkled. "Our 
neighbor hath need of two great blessings," she 
said, "a telephone and a sense of humor." Mary 
laughed merrily, "O, we're so used to it we paid 
no attention," she said, "but I suppose it did 
strike you as rather funny." 

"It's a heap better than it used to be when we 
didn't have telephones," said the doctor, with 
the hearty laugh that had helped many a down- 
cast man and woman to look on the bright side. 

"When I yas a young fellow and first hung 
up my shingle it was a surprising thing — the 
number of people who could get along without 
me. I used to long for some poor fellow to put 
his head in at the door and say he needed me. 
At last one dark, rainy night came the quick, 
importunate knock of someone after a doctor. 
No mistaking that knock. I opened the door and 



io6 



THE STORY OF A 



an elderly woman who lived near me, asked 
breathlessly, 'Mr. Blank, will you do me a great 
favor ?' 

"Certainly," I answered promptly. 

"My husband is very sick and I came to see if 
you would go down and ask Dr. Smithson to 
come and see him." I swallowed my astonish- 
ment and wrath, put on my rubber coat and 
went for the doctor." 

"But she had the grace to come in next day," 
said Mary, "and tell me in much confusion that 
she was greatly embarrassed and ashamed. It 
had not entered her head until that morning 
that my husband was a physician." 

"You see," put in the doctor, "she had not 
taken me seriously; in fact had not taken me at 
all." 

"Tell us about the old man who had you 
come in to see if he needed a doctor," said Mary. 
The doctor smiled, "That was when I didn't 
count, too," he said. 

"This old fellow got sick one day and wanted 
to send for old Dr. Brown, but being of a 
thrifty turn of mind he didn't want to unless he 
had to. He knew me pretty well so he sent for 
me to come and see if he needed a doctor. If I 
thought he did he'd send for Brown. I chatted 
with him awhile and he felt better. Next day 
he sent word to me again that he wished I'd stop 
as I went by and I did. This kept up several 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 107 

days and he got better and better, and finally 
got well without any doctor, as he said." 

The visitor laughed, "You doctors could un- 
fold many a tale — " 

"If the telephone would permit," said Mary, 
as the doctor answered the old summons, took his 
hat and left. 



"John," said Mary one day, "I wish you would 
disconnect the house from the office." 

"No! You're a lot of help to me," protested 
the doctor. 

"Well, I heard someone wrangling with cen- 
tral today because the house answered when it 
was the office that was wanted." She laughed. 
"I know there are people who fancy the doctor's 
wife enjoying to the utmost her 'sweet privi- 
lege' of answering the 'phone in her husband's 
absence. Poor, innocent souls! If they could 
only know the deadly weariness of it all — but 
they can't." 

"Why, I didn't know you felt quite that way 
about it, Mary. I suppose I can disconnect it 
but—" 

"But you don't see how you can ? Never mind, 
then. We'll go on, and some sweet day you'll 
retire from practise. Then hully-gee! won't I 
be free! You didn't choose the right sort of 
helpmeet, John. You surely could have selected 
one who would enjoy thrusting herself into the 



io8 THE STORY OF A 

reluctant confidences of people far more than this 
one." 

"I'm resigned to my lot," laughed John, as he 
kissed his wife and departed. 



Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. 

"Is this you, Doctor ?" 

"Yes." 

"What am I ever to do with Jane ?" 

"Keep her in bed! That's what to do with 
her." 

"Well, I've got a mighty hard job. She's feel- 
ing so much better, she just will get up." 

"Keep her down for awhile yet." 

"Well, maybe I can today, but I won't answer 
for tomorrow. She says she feels like she can 
jump over the house." 

"She can't, though." 

Laughter. "I'll do the best I can, Doctor, but 
that won't be much. Keeping her in bed is easier 
said than done," and the doctor grinned a very 
ready assent as he hung up the receiver. 



The doctor's family was seated at dinner. 
Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. John rose, napkin in hand, 
and went while the clatter of knives and forks 
instantly ceased. 

"Yes." 

"Why didn't you do as I told you, yesterday?" 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 109 

"I told you what to do." 

"Well, did you put them in hot water?" 

"Then do it. Do it right away. Have the 
water hot, now. 

He came back and went on with his dinner. 
Mary admitted to herself a little curiosity as to 
what was to be put into hot water. In a few 
minutes the dinner was finished and the doctor 
was gone. 

"I bet I know what that was," spoke up the 
small boy. 

"What?" asked his sister. 

"Diphtheria clothes. There's a family in town 
that's got the diphtheria." 

Mary was relieved — not that there should be 
diphtheria in town, but that the answer for 
which her mind was vaguely groping had prob- 
ably been found. 



Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. When the doctor had 
answered the summons he told Mary he would 
have to go down to a little house at the edge of 
town about a mile away. When he came back 
an hour later he sat down before the fire with 
his wife. "I remember a night nineteen years 
ago when I was called to that house — a little 
boy was born. I used to see the little fellow oc- 
casionally as he grew up and pity him because he 
had no show at all. Tonight I saw him, a great 
strapping fellow with a good position and no 
bad habits. He'll make it all right now." 



no THE STORY OF A 

The doctor paused for a moment, then went 
on. "They didn't pay me then. I remember that. 
I mentioned it tonight in the young fellow's 
presence." 

"John, you surely didn't!" 

"Yes, I did. His mother said she guessed 
Jake could pay the bill himself." 

Mary looked at this husband of hers with a 
quizzical smile. 

"Doesn't it strike you /that you are going 
pretty far back for your bill?" 

"There's no good reason why this boy should 
not pay the bill if he wants to." 

"No, I suppose not. But I don't believe he 
was so keen to get into the world as all that." 

"Well, it wouldn't surprise me much if that 
young fellow should come into my office one of 
these days and offer to settle that old score now 
that he knows about it." 

"Don't you take it if he does !" and Mary left 
the room quite unconscious that her pronoun was 
without an antecedent. 



Ting-a-ling-ling-ling-ling-ling. 
"Is this you, Doctor?" 
"It is." ' 

'T expect you will have to come out to our 
house." 

*Who is it?" 

"This is Mary Milton." 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE in 

"What's the matter out there, Mrs. Milton?" 

"Polly's gone and hurt her shoulder. I guess 
she run it into the ground." 

"Was she thrown from a horse or a vehicle?" 

"No." 

"Then how could she run it into the ground?" 

"Polly Milton can run everything into the 
ground!" and the tone was exasperation itself. 
"I come purty near havin' to send for you yes- 
terday, but I managed to get 'er out." 

"Out of what?" 

"The clothes-wringer. She caught her stom- 
ach fast between the rollers and nearly took a 
piece out of it. Nobody wanted her to turn it 
but she would do it." 

"Well, what has she done today?" asked the 
doctor, getting impatient. 

"I'm plum ashamed to tell ye. She was a- 
playin' leap-frog." 

"Good ! I'd like to play it myself once more." 

"I thought you'd be scandalized. Some of the 
girls come over to see 'er and the first thing I 
knowed they was out in the yard playin' leap- 
frog like a passel o' boys." 

"That's good for 'em," announced the doctor. 

"It wasn't very good for Polly." 

"The shoulder is probably dislocated. I'll be 
out in a little while and we'll soon fix it." 

"But a great big girl nearly fourteen years old 
oughtn't — " 

"She's all right. Don't you scold her too 



ii2 THE STORY OF A 

much." He laughed as he hung up the receiver, 
then ordered his horse brought round and in a 
few minutes was on his way to the luckless 
maiden. 



Ting-a-ling-ling-ling — three rings. 

"Is this Dr. Blank?" 

"Yes." 

"Can you come down to James Curtis's right 
away ?" 

"Yes — I guess so. What's the matter?" 

James Curtis stated the matter and the doctor 
put up the receiver, went to the door and looked 
out. 

"Gee-mi-nee ! It's as dark as a stack of black 
cats," he said. 

In a little while he was off. He had to go 
horseback and as the horse he usually rode was 
lame he took Billy who was little more than a 
colt. Before Mary retired she went to the door 
and opened it. It was fearfully dark but John 
had said it was only a few miles. His faithful 
steed could find the way if he could not. John 
always got through somehow. With this com- 
forting assurance she went to bed. By and by 
the 'phone was ringing and she was springing 
up and hastening to answer it. To the hurried 
inquiry she replied, "He is in the country." 

"How soon will he be back?" 

She looked at the clock. Nearly three hours 
since he left home. 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 113 

"I expected him before this; he will surely 
be here soon." 

A message was left for him to come at once 
to a certain street and number, and Mary went 
back to bed. But she could not sleep. Soon 
she was at the 'phone again, asking central to 
give her the residence of James Curtis. 

"Hello." 

"Is this Mr. Curtis?" 

"Yes, ma'am." 

"Is Dr. Blank there?" 

"He was, but he started home about an hour 
ago. He ought to be there by this time." 

"Thank you," said Mary, reassured. He 
would be home in a little bit then and she went 
back to her pillow. 

It was well she could not know that 
her husband was lost in the woods. The 
young horse, not well broken to the roads, 
had strayed from the beaten path. The doctor 
had first become aware of it when his hat was 
brushed off by low branches. He dismounted, 
and holding the bridle on one arm, got down on 
hands and knees and began feeling about with 
both hands in the blackness. It seemed a fruitless 
search, but at last he found it and put it securely 
on his head. He did not remount, but tried to 
find his way back into the path. 

After awhile the colt stopped suddenly. 
He urged it on. Snap! A big some- 
thing was hurled through the bushes and 



ii4 THE STORY OF A 

landed at the doctor's feet wfth a heavy 
thud. The pommel of the saddle had 
caught on a grape vine and the girths had 
snapped with the strain. John made a few re- 
marks while he was picking it up and a few 
more while he was getting it on the back of the 
shying colt. But he finally landed it and man- 
aged to get it half-fastened. He stood still, not 
knowing which way to turn. A dog was barking 
somewhere — he would go in that direction. 
Still keeping the bridle over his arm he spread 
his hands before him and slowly moved on. 

At last he stopped. He seemed to be getting 
no nearer to the dog. All at once, and not a 
great way off, he saw a fine sight. It was a 
lighted doorway with the figure of a man in it. 
He shouted lustily, 

"Bring a lantern out here, my friend, if you 
please. I guess I'm lost." 

"All right," the man shouted back and in a 
few minutes the lantern was bobbing along 
among the trees. "Why, Doctor!" exclaimed 
James Curtis, "have you been floundering around 
all this time in these woods so close to the house ? 
Why didn't you holler before?" 

"There didn't seem to be anything to 'holler' 
at. Until that door opened I thought I was in 
the middle of these woods." 

"Your wife just telephoned to know if you 
were at our house and I told her you started 
home an hour ago." 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 115 

"She'll be uneasy. Put me into the main road, 
will you, and we'll make tracks for home." 

When he got there and had told Mary about 
it, she vowed she would not let him go to the 
country again when the night was so pitch dark, 
realizing as she made it, the futility of her vow. 
Then she told him of the message that had 
come in his absence and straightway sent him 
out again into the darkness. 



It was midnight. The doctor was snoring so 
loudly that he had awakened Mary. Just in 
time. Ting-a-ling-ling-ling-ling. By hard work 
she got him awake. He floundered out and along 
toward the little tyrant. He reached it. 

"Hello. What is it?" 

"O! I got the wrong number." 

"Damnation !" 

Slumber again. After some time Mary was 
awakened by her husband's voice asking, "What 
is it?" 

"It's time for George to take his medicine. 
We've been having a dispute about it. I said it 
was the powder he was to take at two o'clock 
and he said it was the medicine in the bottle. 
Now he's mad and won't take either." 

"It was the powder. Tell him I say for him 
to take it now." 

The answering voice sank to a whisper, but 
the words came very distinctly, "I'm afraid he 



n6 THE STORY OF A 

won't do it — he's so stubborn. I wish it was 
the bottle medicine because I believe he would 
take that." 

The doctor chuckled. "Give him that," he 
said. "It won't make a great deal of difference 
in this case, and thinking he was in the right will 
do him more good than the powder. Good night 
and report in the morning." 

The report in the morning was that George 
was better! 



It was a lovely Sabbath in May. The doctor's 
wife had been out on the veranda, looking about 
her. Everywhere was bloom and beauty, fra- 
grance and song. Long she sat in silent con- 
templation of the scene. At last a drowsiness 
stole over her and she went in and settled her- 
self for a doze in the big easy chair. 

Soon a tinkling fell upon her drowsy ear. 

"Oh! that must have been the telephone. I 
wonder if it was two rings or three — I'd better 
listen,"' she said with a sigh as she pulled herself 
up. 

"Is this Dr. Blank?" The voice was faint and 
indistinct. 

"Hello?" said Mary's husband's voice, with 
the rising inflection. 

"Hello?" A more pronounced rise. No an- 
swer. 

"Hello !" falling inflection. Here Mary inter- 
posed. 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 117 

"It's some lady, Doctor, I heard her." 

"Hello!" with a fiercely falling inflection. 

"Dr. Blank," said the faint voice, "I forgot 
how you said to take those red tablets." Mary 
caught all the sentence though only the last three 
words came distinctly. 

"Yes?" Her husband's 'yes' was plainly an 
interrogation waiting for what was to follow. 
She understood. He had heard only the words 
"those red tablets." Again she must interpose. 

"Doctor, she says she forgot how you told 
her to take those red tablets." 

"O! Why, take one every — " 

Mary hung up the receiver and went back to 
resume her interrupted nap. She settled back 
on the cushions and by and by became oblivious 
to all about her. Sweetly she slept for awhile 
then started up rubbing her eyes. She went hur- 
riedly to the 'phone and put the receiver to her 
ear. Silence. 

"Hello?" she said. No answer. Smiling a 
little foolishly she went back to her chair. "It 
isn't surprising that I dreamed it." For a few 
minutes she lay looking out into the snow flakes 
of the cherry blooms. Then came the bell — 
three rings. 

"I hope it's John asking me to drive to the 
country," she thought as she hurried to the 
'phone. It was not. It was a woman's voice 
asking, 

"How much of that gargle must I use at a 
time?" 



n8 THE STORY OF A 

"Oh dear," thought Mary, "what questions 
people do ask! When a gargler is a-gargling, 
I should think she could tell how much to use." 

The doctor evidently thought so too for he 
answered with quick impatience, "Aw-enough 
to gargle with." Then he added, "If it's too 
strong weaken it a little." 

"How much water must I put in it?" Mary 
sighed hopelessly and stayed to hear no more. 
Again she sank back in her chair hoping fer- 
vently that no more foolish questions were to 
rouse her from it. 

When she was dozing off the bell rang so 
sharply she was on her feet and at the 'phone al- 
most before she knew it. 

"Doctor, the whole outfit's drunk again down 
here." 

A woman's voice was making the announce- 
ment. 

"Is that so?" The doctor's voice was calm 
and undisturbed. 

"Yes. The woman's out here in the street just 
jjumpin' up and down. I think she's about 
crazy." 

"She hasn't far to go." 

"Her father's drunk too and so's her husband. 
Will you come down?" 

"No, I don't think I'll come down this time." 

"Well, then will you send an officer?" 

"No-o — I don't—" 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 119 

"I wish you would." 

"Well, I'll try to send someone." 



Mary was at last too wide awake to think of 
dozing. This blot on the sweet May Sabbath 
drove away all thought of day dreams. Poor, 
miserable human creatures ! Poor, long-suffering 
neighbors, and poor John! 

"All sorts of people appeal to him in all sorts 
of cases, and often in cases which do not come 
within a doctor's province at all — he is guide, 
counsellor and friend," she thought as she put on 
her hat and went out for a walk. 



120 THE STORY OF A 



CHAPTER IX. 

One Sunday morning at the beginning of Au- 
gust, Mary stood in the church — as it chanced, 
in the back row — and sang with her next neigh- 
bor from the same hymn book, John Newton's 
good old hymn, 

"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound 
That saved a wretch like me!" 

It was the opening hymn and they were in 
the midst of the third verse. 

"Thro' many dangers, toils and snares, 
I have already come"; 

sang Mary. 

She did not dream that another danger, toil 
and snare was approaching her at that instant 
from the rear and so her clear soprano rang out 
unfaltering on the next line — 

" 'Tis grace that brought me safe thus far — " 

Then a hand was laid upon her shoulder. She 
turned and started as she saw her husband's face 
bending to her. What had happened at home? 

"Wouldn't you like to go to the country?" 
whispered the doctor. 

"Why — I don't like to leave church to go," 
Mary whispered back. 

"The carriage is right here at the door." 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 121 

The next instant she had taken her parasol 
from behind the hymn-books in front of her, 
where she had propped it a few minutes before, 
with some misgiving lest it fall to the floor dur- 
ing prayer, and just as the congregation sang 
the last line, 

"And grace will lead me home," 
she glided from the church by the side of the 
doctor, thankful that in the bustle of sitting down 
the congregation would not notice her departure. 
They descended the steps, entered the waiting 
carriage and off they sped. 

"I feel guilty," said Mary, a little dazed over 
the swift transfer. The doctor did not reply. 
In another minute she turned to him with energy. 

"John, what possessed you to come to the 
church ?" 

"Why, I couldn't get you at home. I drove 
around there and Mollie said you had gone to 
church so I just drove there." 

"You ought to have gone without me." 

The doctor smiled. "You didn't have to go. 
But you are better off out here than sitting in the 
church." The horse switched his tail over the 
reins and the doctor, failing in his effort to re- 
lease them, gave vent to a vigorous expletive. 

"Yes, I certainly do hear some things out here 
that I wouldn't be apt to hear in there," she said. 
Then the reins being released and serenity re- 
stored, they went on. 

"Isn't that a pretty sight ?" The doctor nodded 



122 THE STORY OF A 

his head toward two little girls in fresh white 
dresses who stood on the side-walk anxiously- 
watching his approach. There was earnest in- 
terest in the blue eyes and the black. Near the 
little girls stood a white-headed toddler of about 
two years and by his side a boy seven or eight 
years old. 

"Mr. Blank," called the blue-eyed little girl — 
all men with or without titles are Mr. to little 
folks; — the doctor stopped his horse. 

"Well, what is it, Mamie ?" 

"I want you to bring my mamma a baby." 

"You do!" 

"Yes, sir, a boy baby. Mamie and me wants 
a little brother," chimed in the little black-eyed 
girl. 

The boy looked down at the toddler beside him 
and then at the two little girls with weary con- 
tempt. "You don't know what you're a-gittin' 
into," he said. "If this one hadn't never learned 
to walk it wouldn't be so bad, but he jist learns 
everything and he jist bothers me all the time" 

The doctor and Mary laughed with great en- 
joyment. "Now! what'd I tell you!" said the 
boy, as he ran to pick up the toddler who at 
that instant fell off the sidewalk. He gave him a 
vigorous shake as he set him on his feet and a 
roar went up. "Don't you git any baby at your 
house," he said, warningly. 

"Yes, bring us one, Mr. Blank, please do, a 
little bit of a one," said Mamie* and the black 
eyes pleaded too. 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 123 

"Well, I'll tell you. If you'll be good and do 
whatever your mamma tells you, maybe I zvill 
find a baby one of these days and if I do I'll 
bring it to your house." He drove on. 

If they knew what I know their little hearts 
would almost burst for joy. Their father is just 
as anxious for a boy as they are, too," he added. 

They were soon out in the open country. It 
was one of those lovely days which sometimes 
come at this season of the year which seem to 
belong to early autumn; neither too warm nor 
too cool for comfort. A soft haze lay upon 
the landscape and over all the Sunday calm. 
They turned into a broad, dusty road. Mary's 
eyes wandered across the meadow on the right 
with its background of woods in the distance. 
A solitary cow stood contentedly in the shade of 
a solitary tree, while far above a vulture sailed 
on slumbrous wings. 

The old rail fence and the blackberry 
briars hugging it here and there in clumps; 
small clusters of the golden-rod, even now 
a pale yellow, which by and by would 
glorify all the country lanes ; the hazel bushes 
laden with their delightful promise for the au- 
tumn — Mary noted them all. They passed un- 
challenged those wayside sentinels, the tall mul- 
lein-stalks. The Venus Looking-Glass nodded its 
blue head ever so gently as the brown eyes fell 
upon it and then they went a little way ahead 
to where the blossoms of the elderberry were 



124 THE STORY OF A 

turning into tiny globules of green. Mary asked 
the doctor if he thought the corn in the field 
would ever straighten up again. A wind storm 
had passed over it and many of the large stalks 
were almost flat upon the earth. The doctor an- 
swered cheerfully that the sun would pull it up 
again if Aesop wasn't a fraud. 

After a while they stopped at a big gate open- 
ing into a field. 

"Hold the reins, please, till I see if I can get 
the combination of that gate," and the doctor 
got out. Mary took a rein in each hand as he 
opened the gate. She clucked to the horse and 
he started. 

"Whoa! John, come and get my mite. It's 
about to slip out of my glove." The doctor 
glanced at the coin Mary deposited in his palm. 

"They didn't lose much." 

"The universal collection coin, my dear. Now 
open the gate wider and I'll drive through." 

"Don't hit the gate post !" She looked at 
him with disdain. "I never drove through a 
gate in my life that somebody didn't yell, 'Don't 
hit the gate post' and yet I never have hit a gate 
post." 

At this retort the doctor had much ado to get 
the gate fastened and pull himself into the buggy, 
and his laughter had hardly subsided before they 
drew up to the large farm house in the field. 
Mary did not go in. In about twenty minutes 
the doctor came out. The door-step turned, al- 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 125 

most causing him to fall. "Here's a fine chance 
for a broken bone and some of you will get it if 
you don't fix this step," he growled. 

"I'll fix that tomorrow," said the farmer, "but 
I should think you'd be the last one to complain 
about it, Doctor." 

"Some people seem to think that doctors and 
their wives are filled with mercenary malice," 
said Mary laughing. "Yesterday I was walking 
along with a lady when I stopped to remove a 
banana skin from the sidewalk. She said she 
would think a doctor's wife wouldn't take the 
trouble to remove banana skins from the walk." 

"I believe in preventive medicine," said the 
doctor, "and mending broken steps and removing 
banana peeling belong to it." 

"Do you think it will ever be an established 
fact ?" asked Mary as they drove away. 

"I do indeed. It will be the medicine of the 
future." 

"I'm glad I'm not a woman of the future, then, 
for I really don't want to starve to death." 

"I have to visit a patient a few miles 
farther on," said the doctor when they 
came out on the highway. Soon they were 
driving across a knoll and fields of tas- 
seled corn lay before them. A little far- 
ther and they entered the woods. "Ah, Mary, 
I would not worry about leaving church. The 
groves were God's first temples." After a little 
he said, "I was trying to think what Beecher said 



126 THE STORY OF A 

about trees — it was something like this : 'With- 
out doubt better trees there might be than even 
the most noble and beautiful now. Perhaps God 
has in his thoughts much better ones than he has 
ever planted on this globe. They are reserved 
for the glorious land/ " 

"See this, John !" and Mary pointed to a group 
of trees they were passing, "a ring cut around 
every one of them !" 

"Yes, the fool's idea of things is to go out 
and kill a tree by the roadside — often standing 
where it can't possibly do any harm. How often 
in my drives I have seen this and it always makes 
me mad/' 

They drove for a while in silence, then Mary 
said, "Nature seems partial to gold." She had 
been noting the Spanish needles and Black-eyed 
Susans which starred the dusty roadside and 
filled the field on the left with purest yellow, 
while golden-rod and wild sunflowers bloomed 
profusely on all sides. 

"Yes, that seems to be the prevailing color in 
the wild-flowers of this region." 

"That reminds me of something. A few months 
ago a little girl said to me, 'Mrs. Blank, don't 
you think red is God's favorite color?' 'Why, 
dear, I don't think I ever thought about it,' I 
answered, quite surprised. 'Well, I think he 
likes red better than any color.' 'Why I don't 
know, but when we look around and see the grass 
and the trees and the vines growing everywhere, 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 127 

it seems to me that green might be his favorite 
color. But what makes you think it is red?' 
'Because he put blood into everybody in the 
world.' Quite staggered by this reasoning and 
making an effort to keep from smiling, I said, 
'But we can't see that. If red is his favorite 
color why should he put it where it can't be 
seen?' The child looked at me in amazement. 
'God can see it. He can see clear through any- 
body.' The little reasoner had vanquished me 
and I fled the field." 

A little way ahead lay a large snake stretched 
out across the road. 

"The boy that put it there couldn't help it," 
said the doctor, "it's born in him. When I was 
a lad every snake I killed was promptly brought 
to the road and stretched across it to scare the 
passers-by." 

"And yet I don't suppose it ever did scare 
anyone." 

"Occasionally a girl or woman uttered a 
shriek and I felt repaid. I remember one big 
girl walking along barefooted ; before she knew 
it she had set her foot on the cold, slimy thing. 
The way she yelled and made the dust fly filled 
my soul with a frenzy of delight. I rolled over 
and over in the weeds by the roadside and yelled 
too." 

A sudden turn in the road brought the doctor 
and his wife face to face with a young man and 
his sweetheart. Mary knew at a glance they 



128 THE STORY OF A 

were sweethearts. They were emerging into the 
highway from a grassy woods-road which led 
down to a little church. The young man was 
leading two saddled horses. 

"Why do you suppose they walk instead of 
riding?" asked the doctor. 

"Hush! they'll hear you. Isn't she pretty?" 
The young man assisted his companion to her 
seat in the saddle. She started off in one direc- 
tion, while he sprang on his horse and galloped 
away in the other. "Here ! you rascal," the doc- 
tor called, as he passed, "why didn't you go all 
the way with her?" 

"I'll go back tonight," the young fellow called 
back, dashing on at so mad a pace that the broad 
rim of his hat stood straight up. 
"Do you know him ?" 
"I know them both." 

After another mile our travelers went down 
one long hill and up another and stopped at a 
house on the hilltop where lived the patient. 
Here, too, Mary chose to remain in the buggy. 
A wagon had stopped before a big gate opening 
into the barnyard and an old man in it was evi- 
dently waiting for someone. He looked at Mary 
and she looked at him ; but he did not speak and 
just as she was about to say good morning, he 
turned and looked in another direction. When 
he finally looked around it seemed to Mary it 
would be a little awkward to bid him good morn- 
ing now, so she tried to think what to say in- 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 129 

stead, by way of friendly greeting; it would be 
a little embarrassing to sit facing a human being 
for some time with not a word to break the con- 
straint. But the more she cudgeled her brain 
the farther away flew every idea. She might ask 
him if he thought we were going to have a good 
corn crop, but it was so evident that we were, 
since the crop was already made that that remark 
seemed inane. The silence was beginning to be 
oppressive. Her eye wandered over the yard 
and she noticed some peach trees near the house 
with some of the delicious fruit hanging from 
the boughs. She remarked pleasantly, "I see 
they have some peaches here." Her companion 
looked at her and said, "Hey?" 

"I said, 'I see they have some peaches here,' " 
she rejoined, raising her voice. He curved one 
hand around his ear and said again, "Hey?" 

"O, good gracious," thought Mary, "I wish I 
had let him alone." / 

She shrieked this time, "I only said, 7 see they 
have some peaches here! " 

When the old man said, "I didn't hear ye yet, 
mum," she leaned back in the carriage, fanning 
herself vigorously, and gave it up. She had 
screamed as loud as she intended to scream over 
so trivial a matter. Looking toward the house 
she saw a tall young girl coming down the walk 
with something in her hand. She came timidly 
through the little gate and handed a plate of 
peaches up to the lady in the carriage, looking 



130 THE STORY OF A 

somewhat frightened as she did so. "I didn't 
hear ye," she explained, "but Jim came in and 
said you was a-wantin' some peaches.'' 

Mary's face was a study. Jim and his sister 
had not seen the deaf old man in the wagon, as 
a low-branched pine stood between the wagon 
and the house. And this was the way her polite- 
ness was interpreted! 

The comicality of the situation was too much. 
She laughed merrily and explained things to the 
tall girl who seemed much relieved. 

"I ought to 'a' brought a knife, but I was in 
such a hurry I forgot it." Eating peaches with 
the fuzz on was quite too much for Mary so she 
said, "Thank you, but we'll be starting home in 
a moment, I'll not have time to eat them. But 
I am very thirsty, might I have a glass of 
water?" The girl went up the walk and disap- 
peared into the house. Mary did so want her 
to come out and draw the water, dripping and 
cool, from the old well yonder. She came out, 
went to the well, stooped and filled the glass from 
the bucket sitting inside the curb. Mary sighed. 
The tall girl took a step. Then, to the watcher's 
delight, she threw the water out, pulled the bucket 
up and emptied it into the trough, and one end 
of the creaking well-sweep started downward 
while the other started upward. The bucket was 
on its way to the cool depths and Mary grew 
thirstier every second. 

The doctor appeared at the door and looked 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 131 

out. Then he came, case in hand, with swift 
strides down the walk. The gate banged behind 
him and he untied the horse in hot haste, looking 
savagely at his wife as he did so. 

"I suppose you've asked that girl to bring you 
a drink." 

"Yes, I did. I'm very thirsty." 

"You ought to have more sense than to want 
to drink where people have typhoid fever." 

The girl started down the walk with the brim- 
ming glass. The doctor climbed into the buggy 
and turned around. 

"For pity's sake! what will she think?" 

A vigorous cut from the whip and the horse 
dashed off down the road. Mary cast a longing, 
lingering look behind. The girl stood looking 
after them with open mouth. 

"That girl has had enough today to astonish 
her out of a year's growth," thought Mary as 
the buggy bumped against a projecting plank and 
tore over the bridge at the foot of the hill. 

"John, one of the rules of good driving is 
never to drive fast down hill." Her spouse an- 
swered never a word. 

After a little he said, "I didn't mean to be 
cross, Mary, but I didn't want you to drink 
there." 

"You should have warned me beforehand, 
then," she said chillingly. 

"I couldn't sit in the buggy and divine there 
was typhoid fever there," she continued. "A wo- 



132 THE STORY OF A 

man's intuitions are safe guides' but she has to 
have something to go on before she can have in- 
tuitions." 

"Hadn't you better put your ulster on, dear?" 
inquired the doctor in such meaning tones, that 
Mary turned quickly and looked off across the 
fields. A Black-eyed Susan by the roadside 
caught the smile in her eyes and nodded its yel- 
low head and smiled mischievously back at her. 
It was a feminine flower and they understood 
each other. 

When they had driven three or four miles 
Mary asked the doctor if there was any typhoid 
fever in the house they were approaching. 

"How do I know?" 

"I thought you might be able to divine whether 
there is or not." 

"We'll suppose there isn't. We'll stop and get 
a drink," he answered indulgently. They stopped, 
Mary took the reins and the doctor went to re- 
connoiter. 

"Nobody at home and not a vessel of any 
kind in sight," he announced coming back. Of 
course her thirst was now raging. 

"Maybe there's a gourd hanging inside the 
curb. If there is do break it loose and bring it 
to me heaping full." 

"I looked inside the curb — nothing there." 

Here Mary's t anxious eyes saw a glass fruit 
jar turned upside down on a fence paling. Bless- 
ings on the woman who put it there ! The doctor 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 133 

filled and brought it to her. After a long 
draught she uttered a sigh of rich content. 
"Now," she said, "I'm ready to go home." 



134 THE STORY OF A 



CHAPTER X. 

Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. 

"Hello." 

"Is this the doctor?" 

"It's one of 'em," said John, recognizing the 
voice of a patient. 

"Well, doctor, the other side of my throat is 
sore now!" 

"Is it ? Well, I told your husband it might be." 

"Why?" 

"Why? Well, because I'm running short of 
coffee and a few things like that." 

A little laugh. "7 don't want to keep you in 
coffee and things like that." 

"Nobody does. But the poor doctors have to 
live and you must contribute your share." 
Laughter. 

"All right, Doctor, but I don't want to have to 
contribute too much." 

"Don't be alarmed about your throat, Mrs. 
Channing. When I looked at it yesterday, I 
saw indications that the other side might be af- 
fected, but it will soon be well." 

"That sounds better. Thank you, good-bye." 
When he came back to the table his wife, said, 
"John, I shouldn't think you'd say things like 
that to people." 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 135 

"Why?" 

"Well, they might believe 'em." The doctor 
laughed, swallowed his cup of tea and departed. 

Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. Three times. 

"Hello." 

"Is Dr. Blank at home?" 

"He has just this minute left for the office. 
'Phone him there in two minutes and you will 
get him." 

Mary went back, took two bites and when 
the third was suspended on her fork the 'phone 
rang. 

"Somebody else," she thought, laying the fork 
down and rising. 

"Oh! I've got you again, Mrs. Blank. You 
said to ring in two minutes and I'd get the 
doctor." 

"But you didn't wait one minute." 

"It seemed lots longer. All right, I'll wait." 

"People expect a doctor to get there in less 
than no time," thought Mary. "John walks so 
fast I felt safe in telling her to 'phone him in 
two minutes." 

Buzz-z-z-z-z, as if all the machinery of the uni- 
verse were let loose in her ear. She had held 
the receiver till her husband could reach the of- 
fice so she might feel assured the anxious one 
had found him. Yes, that was his voice. 

"Dr. Blank, you're president of the board of 
health, ain't ye?" 

"Yes — guess so." 



136 THE STORY OF A 

"This is Jack Johnson's. There's a dead horse 
down here by our house an' I want you to come 
down here an' bury it." Our listener heard the 
woman's teeth snap together. 

"All right. I'll get a spade and come right 
along." 

"What do they take my husband for," thought 
Mary. 

Buzz-z-z-z at her ear again. Now it was her 
husband's voice saying, 

"Give me number forty-five." 

In a minute a gentlemanly voice said, "Hello." 

"Is this you, Warner?" 

"Yes." 

"There's a dead horse down by Jack John- 
son's. Go down there and bury it." 

"All right, Doc. I'll be right along." 

A burst of laughter from the doctor was 
echoed by Warner. Mary knew that Warner 
was the newly elected alderman and she smiled 
as she pictured the new officer leaving his ele- 
gant home and going down to perform the obse- 
quies. Nevertheless her heart leaned toward 
Jack Johnson's wife, for it was plain to be seen 
that neither the new president of the board of 
health nor the new alderman had a realizing 
sense of his duties. 

Half an hour later three rings sounded. 

"Is this Dr. Blank's office?" 

"No, his residence." 

"Well, I see by the paper he's on the board of 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 137 

health and we want this manure-pile taken away 
from here." 

"Please 'phone your complaints to the doctor," 
said Mary, calmly replacing the receiver and 
shutting of! the flood. 

"John's existence will be made miserable by 
this new honor thrust upon him," she thought. 

When he came home that evening she asked 
if the second complainant had found him. 

"Yes, she found me all right." 

"They're going to make day hideous and night 
lamented, aren't they?" 

"O, no. I'll just have a little fun and then 
send someone to look after their complaints." 

Just before bed-time the doctor was called to 
the 'phone. 

"Doctor, this is the nurse at the hotel. What 
had I better do with this Polish girl's hand?" 

"Doesn't it look all right?" 

"Yes, it's doing fine." 

"Just let it alone, then." 

"She won't be satisfied. She thinks we ought 
to be doing something to it. And I've got to 
do something or she'll go off upstairs and wash 
it in dirty water." 

"Tell her not to do anything of the kind." 

"She can't understand a word I say and I 
don't know what to do with her. She's had the 
bandage off once already." 

"The devil she has ! Well, then you'll have to 
unwrap it, I guess, and pretend to do something. 
But it would be better to let it alone." 



138 THE STORY OF A 

"I know that." 

"How is the other patient tonight?" 

"Doing fine, Doctor." 

"Good! Good-bye." 



There was a spacious, airy, upper chamber 
opening out on a balcony at the doctor's house 
which the doctor and Mary claimed for theirs. 
Not now ; O no ! But in the beautiful golden 
sometime when the telephone ceased from troub- 
ling and the weary ones might rest. This meant 
when the doctor should retire from night prac- 
tice. Until that happy time they occupied a 
smaller room on the first floor as it was near the 
telephone. Mary had steadfastly refused to have 
the privacy of her upper rooms invaded by the 
tyrant. 

One warm summer night when bed-time came 
she made the announcement that she was going 
upstairs to sleep in the big room. 

"But what if I should be called out in the 
night?" asked her husband, with protest in his 
voice. 

"Then I'd be safer up there than down here," 
said Mary, calmly. 

"But I mean you couldn't hear the 'phone." 

"That is a consummation devoutly to be 
wished." 

"Now don't go off up there," expostulated 
John. "You always hear it and I sort of depend 
on you to get me awake." 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 139 

"Exactly. But it's a good thing for a man to 
depend on himself once in awhile. I was awake 
so often last night that I'm too tired and sleepy 
to argue. But I'm going. Good night." 

"Thunder!" 

"It doesn't ring every night," said Mary, com- 
fortingly from the landing. "Let us retire in the 
fond belief that curfew will not ring tonight." 

When she retired she fell at once into deep 
sleep. For two hours she slept sweetly on. 
Then she was instantly aroused. The figure of 
a man stood by her side. In the moonlight she 
saw him plainly, clad in black. Her heart was 
coming up into her throat when a voice said, 

"Mary, I have to go two miles into the coun- 
try." 

"Why didn't you call me, John, instead of 
standing there and scaring me to death ?" 

"I did call you but I couldn't get you awake." 

"Then you ought to have let me be. If a wo- 
man hasn't a right to a night's sleep once in 
awhile what is she entitled to?" 

This petulance was unusual with his wife. 
"Well, come on down now, Mary," he said, 
kindly. 

"I'm not going down there this night." 

"But you can't hear the 'phone up here and 
I'm expecting a message any minute that must 
be answered." 

"I'll — hear — that — 'phone," said Mary. 
"I'll sleep with one ear and one eye open." 



140 THE STORY OF A 

"Have it your own way," said the doctor as 
he started down the stairs. 

"I intend to. But when I tell you I'll watch 
the 'phone, John, you know I'll do it." 

He was gone and she lay wide awake. It 
seemed very hard to be ruthlessly pulled from 
a sleep so deep and delicious and so much 
needed. 

By and by her eye-lids began to feel heavy and 
her thoughts went wandering into queer places. 
"This won't do," she said aloud, sitting up in 
bed. Then she rose and went out on to the bal- 
cony. Seating herself in an arm chair, she 
looked about her on the silvery loveliness. The 
cricket's chirr and the occasional affirmations of 
the katy-did were the only sounds she heard. "I 
didn't say you didn't. Don't be so spiteful 
about it." 

The moon, shining through the branches of 
the big oak tree made faintly-flickering shadows 
at her feet. The white hammock, stirring 
occasionally as a breeze touched it, invited her. 
She went over to it and lay for many minutes 
looking up, noting how fast the moon glided 
from one branch of the tree -to another. Now 
it neared the trunk. Now a slice was cut off its 
western rim. Now it was only a half moon — 
"a bweak-moon on the sky," as her little boy had 
called it. Now there was a total eclipse. When 
it began peeping out on the other side of the 
trunk our watcher's dreamful eyes took no note 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 141 

of it. A dog barked. She sprang up and seated 
herself in the chair again. She dare not trust 
herself to the hammock. It was too seductive 
and too delightful. So she sat erect and waited 
for the ring which might not come but which 
must be watched for just the same. Her promise 
had gone forth. Far up the street she heard 
horses' hoofs — it must be John returning. The 
buggy-top shining in the moonlight came into 
view. No, it was a white horse. Her vigil was 
not yet ended. A quarter of an hour later she 
discerned a figure far down the walk. She fol- 
lowed it with her eyes. It moved swiftly on. 
Would it turn at the corner and come up toward 
their house? Yes, it was turning. Then it 
turned into the yard. It was John. She went 
forward and leaning over the railing called down 
to him, "A good chance to play Romeo now, 
John." John only grunted — after the manner 
of husbands. 

"Nobody rang. I'm going to bed again. 
Good night — I mean good morning." 



The next night was hotter than ever and Mary 
made up her mind she would sleep up in the ham- 
mock. She had had a delicious taste of it which 
made her wish for more. To avoid useless dis- 
cussion she would wait till John retired and was 
asleep, then she would quietly steal away. But 
when this was accomplished and she had settled 



142 THE STORY OF A 

herself comfortably to sleep she found herself 
wide awake. She closed her eyes and gently 
wooed slumber, but it came not. Ah, now she 
knew ! The night before she had shaken off all 
responsibility for the 'phone. Therefore she 
could sleep. Tonight her husband lay uncon- 
scious of her absence and the burden of it was 
upon her shoulders again. Well, she must try to 
sleep anyway, this was too good a chance to lose. 
She fell asleep. After awhile dinner was ready. 
Mollie had rung the little bell for the boys. Now 
she was ringing it again. Where can the boys 
have got to ? Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. Ting-a-ling- 
ling-ling. Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. Mary sat up in 
the hammock and rubbed her eyes. 

"Oh !" she sprang out and rushed to the stairs. 
"Doctor!" 

"John!" The snores continued. Ting-a-ling- 
ling-ling-ling-ling ! 

"Oh, dear!" gasped Mary, hurrying down as 
fast as her feet could take her. Straight to the 
'phone she went. It must be appeased first. 

"Hello?" 

"Hell-o!" Where's the doctor?" 

"He is very fast asleep." 

"I've found that out. Can you get him 
awake?" Sharp impatience was in the man's 
voice. 

"Hold the 'phone a minute, please, and I'll 
rouse him." 

She went into the bedroom and calling, "John ! 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 143 

John !" shook him soundly by the shoulders. He 
sat up in bed with a wild look. 

"Go to the 'phone, quick!" commanded Mary. 

"Eh?" 

"Go to the 'phone. It's been ringing like fury. 
Hurry." 

At last he was there and his wife knew by his 
questions and answers that he would be out for 
the rest of the night. She crept into bed. After 
he was gone she would go upstairs. When he 
was dressed he came to the door and peered in. 

"That's right, Mary," he said, with such hearty 
satisfaction in his tones that she answered cheer- 
fully, "All right — I'll stay this time." 

And when he was gone she turned her face 
from the moonlit window and slept till morning, 
oblivious to the thieves and murderers that did 
not come. 



Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. 

"Is the doctor there?" 

"He was called out awhile ago ; will be back in 
perhaps twenty minutes." 

"This is Mr. Cowan. I only wanted to ask if 
my wife could have some lemonade this morning. 
She is very thirsty and craves it — but I can 
call again after awhile." 

How discouraging to the feverish, thirsty wife 
to have her husband come back and tell her he 
would 'phone again after awhile. And if, after 



144 THE STORY OF A 

waiting, he still failed to find the doctor ? Mary 
knew the Cowans quite well so she made bold 
to say, hastily, "I think the doctor would say 
yes." 

"You think he would?" asked Mr. Cowan, 
hopefully. 

"I think he would, but don't let her have too 
much, of course." 

"All right. Thank you, Mrs. Blank." 

An uneasy feeling came into Mary's mind and 
would not depart as she went about her work. 
Really, what right had she to prescribe for a 
sick woman even so harmless a thing as lemon- 
ade. How did she know that it was harmless. 
Perhaps in this case there was some combination 
of symptoms which would make that very thing 
the thing the patient ought not to have. 

In about fifteen minutes there came a ring — 
three. Mary started guiltily. It sounded like 
the doctor's ring. Was he going to reprimand 
her? But it was the voice of a friend and it 
surprised Mary with this question : 

"Mrs. Blank, if you were me would you have 
your daughter operated upon ?" 

"Operated upon for what?" 

"For appendicitis." 

"Nettie, let me tell you something: if I had 
no more sense than to give you advice on such 
a question as that, I certainly hope you would 
have more sense than to take it. Advice about 
a thing with no sort of knowledge of that thing 
is as worthless as it is common." 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 145 

"Why — I thought since you are a doctor's 
wife you would know about it." 

"Can you draw up a legal will because you 
happen to be the wife of a lawyer?" 

"No-o, but—" 

"But me no buts," quoth Mary. "We're even 
now." 

"Well, I've heard it said a doctor's wife knows 
even less than many others about ills and their 
remedies because she is so used to depending on 
her husband that she never has to think of them 
herself. I guess I'd better talk to the doctor. 
I just thought I'd see what you said first. Good- 
bye." 

"My skirts are clear of any advice in that di- 
rection," thought Mary, her mind reverting again 
to the lemonade. 

"Nettie couldn't have 'phoned me at a more 
opportune minute to get the right answer. But 
I wonder if John is back. I'll see." She rang. 

"Hello." 

"Say, John, Mr. Cowan 'phoned awhile ago, 
and his wife was very thirsty and craved lem- 
onade and — don't scold — I took the liberty of 
saying — it's awful for a thirsty person to have 
to wait and wait you know — and so I said I 
thought you would say she might have it." 

"I hope you weren't this long about it," laughed 
her husband. 

"Then it was all right?" 

"Certainly." Much relieved Mary hung up 



146 



THE STORY OF A 



the receiver. "What needless apprehension as- 
sails us sometimes," she thought, as she went 
singing to her broom. 
"Just the same, I won't prescribe very often." 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 147 



CHAPTER XI. 

It was five o'clock in the morning when the 
doctor heard the call and made his way to it. His 
wife was roused too and was a passive listener. 

"Yes." 

"Yes." 

"Down where ? I don't understand you." 

"On what street?. . . . Down near Dyre's? I 
don't know any such family." Here Mary called 
out, "Maybe they mean Dye's." 

"Dye's ? Yes, I know where that is Gal- 
liver — that's the name is it? Very well, Mrs. 
Galliver, I'll be down in a little while. . . . Yes, 
just as soon as I can dress and get there." 

He proceeded to clothe himself very deliber- 
ately, but years of repression had taught Mary 
resignation. 

Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. Three rings. 

The doctor went with shoe in hand and again 
his wife was a listener. 

"Yes Yes I'm just getting ready to 

go to see a patient It's a hurry call, is it? 

All right then, I'll come there first Yes, 

right away." 

As he put up the receiver he said to his wife, 
"Somebody else was trying to get me then, too, 
but couldn't make it." Mary thought it well he 



148 THE STORY OF A 

couldn't since her husband was only one and in- 
divisible. 

"But he will probably try again after a little," 
she thought, "and John will be gone and I won't 
know just where to find him." 

Ting-a-ling-ling-ling-ling-ling. Collar m hand 
the doctor went. 

"Yes Who is this? Come where?. . .. 

Jackson street. Right next to Wilson's mill ? . . . . 
On which side? I say on which side of Wilson's 

mill? West? All right, I'll be down there 

after awhile No, not right away ; I have to 

make two other visits first, but as soon as I can 
get there." 

When at last he was dressed and his hand was 
on the door-knob the 'phone called him back. 

"You say I needn't come Very well. I'll 

come if you want me to though, Mrs. Galliver. 
I'm just starting now. I have to see another 
patient first." — 

"Why John," interposed Mary from the bed- 
room, "She called you first." 

"It will be about half an hour before I can 
get there All right, I'll be there." 

Then Mary remembered that No. 2 was the 
hurry call and was silent. When the doctor was 
gone she fell asleep but only for two minutes. 

She went to answer the call. "Has the doctor 
started yet?" 

"Yes, he is on his way." 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 149 

"All right then," and the relief in the tone was 
a pleasant thing to hear. 

"Now, if I go to sleep again I can feel no se- 
curity from No. 1 or No. 3 or both." Neverthe- 
less she did go to sleep and neither No. 1 nor 
No. 3 called her out of it. 



"I must be going," said Mary, rising from her 
chair in a neighbor's house. 

"Have you something special on hand ?" asked 
her neighbor. 

"Yes, it's clock-winding day at our house, for 
one thing." 

"Why, how many clocks do you have to wind ?" 
inquired the little old lady with mild surprise. 

"Only one, thank heaven!" ejaculated Mary 
as she departed. 

When she had sped across the yard and en- 
tered her own door she threw off her shawl and 
made ready to wind the clock. First, she turned 
off the gas in the grate so that her skirts would 
not catch fire. Second, she brought a chair and 
set it on the hearth in front of the grate. Third, 
she went into the next room and got the big un- 
abridged dictionary, brought it out and put it on 
the chair. Fourth, she went back and got the 
oldest and thickest Family Bible and the fat Bi- 
ble Dictionary, brought them out and deposited 
them on the unabridged. Fifth, she mounted the 
chair. Sixth, she mounted the volumes — which 



150 THE STORY OF A 

brought her up to the height she was seeking to 
attain. Seventh, she wound the clock; that is, 
she usually did. Today, when she had inserted 
the key and turned it twice round — the 'phone 
rang. Oh, dear! Thank goodness it stopped at 
two rings. She would take it for granted the 
doctor was in the office. She wound on. Then 
she took the key out and inserted it on the op- 
posite side. A second peal. That settled it. If 
it were a lawyer's or a merchant's or any other 
man's 'phone she could wind the other side first 
— but the doctor's is in the imperative mood and 
the present tense. She must descend. Slowly 
and cautiously she did so, went to the 'phone and 
put the receiver to her ear. 

"Hello, is this Dr. Blank's office?" 

'This is his—" 

"Hello, what is it?" said her husband's voice. 
"Now why couldn't he have come a minute 
sooner," thought Mary, provoked. 

"Doctor," said an agitated voice, "my little 
boy has swallowed a penny." 

"Was it a good one?" inquired the doctor, 
calmly. 

"Why — ye-es," said the voice, broken with a 
laugh, "guess it was." 

"Just let him alone. It will be all right after 
awhile." 

"It was worth getting down to hear so com- 
forting an assurance," said Mary as she ascended 
again the chair and the volumes. She finished 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 151 

her weekly task, then slowly and cautiously de- 
scended, carried the big books back to their 
places, set the chair in its corner and lighted the 
gas. She stood for a moment looking up at this 
clock. The space over the mantel-piece was just 
the place for it and it was only after it had been 
firmly anchored to the wall that the thought had 
arisen, "How can I ever get up there to wind it ?" 

She smiled as she thought of a social gather- 
ing a few days before, when a lady had called to 
her across the room, "Mrs. Blank, tell us that 
clock story again." And she had answered : 

"It isn't much of a story, but it serves to show 
the manner in which we computed the time. One 
night the doctor woke me up. 'Mary/ he said 
in a helpless sort of way, 'It struck seven — what 
time is it?' 'Well — let me see,' I said. 'If it 
struck seven it meant to strike three, for it strikes 
four ahead of time. And if it meant to strike 
three it's just a quarter past two, for it's three 
quarters of an hour too fast.' " Ting-a-ling-ling. 
Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. 

Mary recognized her husband's ring. "Yes, 
what is it John ?" 

"I'm going out for twenty minutes, watch the 
'phone, please." 

She laughed in answer to this most superflu- 
ous request, then sat her down near by. 



"John, Mrs. B. said a pretty good thing last 
night." 



152 THE STORY OF A 

"That's good." 

"I've a notion not to tell you, now that the 
good thing was about you." 

"That's better still. But are good things about 
me so rare that you made a note of it ?" 

"I don't know but what they are," said Mary, 
reflectively. "There was Mrs. C, you know, who 
said she didn't see how in the world Doc Blank's 
wife ever lived with him — he was so mean." 

"I wonder about that myself, sometimes." 

"The way I manage it is to assert myself when 
it becomes necessary — and it does. You're a 
physician to your patients but to me you're a 
mere man." 

"I feel myself shrivelling. But how about Mrs. 
B.'s compliment?" 

"I was over at the church where a social pro- 
gram of some sort was being given and 'between 
acts' everybody was moving about chatting. An 
elderly woman near me asked, 'Mrs. Blank, do 
you know who the Hammell's are?' I told her 
that I did not, and she went on, T see by the 
paper that a member of their family died today, 
and I thought you, being a doctor's wife, might 
know something about it.' 

"Mrs. B. spoke up promptly, 'Why, Mrs. Blank 
wouldn't know anything about the dead people — 
her husband gets 'em well.' " 

The doctor laughed, "And she believes it too," 
he said. 

"No doubt of it. So a compliment like that 
offsets one of Mrs. C.'s kind." 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 153 

"O, no. The C.'s have it by a big majority. 
Don't you know I have the reputation of being 
the meanest man in the county?" 

"No, I don't." 

"Well, I have. Do you remember that drive 
we took a week or two ago up north ?" 

"That long drive?" 

"Yes. When I went in' the man who was a 
stranger to me, said, "I'll tell you why I sent for 
you. I've had two or three doctors out here, 
recommended as good doctors, and they haven't 
done me a darned bit of good. Yesterday I 
heard you was the meanest doctor in this county 
and I said to myself, "He's the man I want." 

"I heard you laughing and wondered what it 
w r as about. The man's wife came out to the 
buggy and talked to me. She said they were 
strangers and didn't know anything about the 
doctors around here — they had thought of send- 
ing down to this town for a doctor but she had 
spoken to a woman — a neighbor — and she had 
said there wasn't any of 'em any account down 
there. But her husband kept getting worse so 
they finally sent for Dr. Blank and she hoped 
he'd cure 'im. Are you doing it? I hope so 
for I assured her that the physicians of this town 
are recognized throughout the State as being 
men of exceptional ability, and she went in, 
comforted." 

"Yes, he got better as soon as he struck the 
toad to health," laughed John. He took out his 



154 THE STORY OF A 

watch. "Jove! I haven't any time to spare if I 
catch that train." For several days he had been 
taking the train to a little station some miles out 
of town, where he would get off and walk a mile 
to the home of his patient, make his visit and 
walk back in time to catch the train for home. 

Just after the doctor left the house the tele- 
phone rang twice. His wife answered it, know- 
ing he had not yet reached the office. 

"Is the doctor there?" 

"He left the house just a minute ago." 

"Well, he's coming down today isn't he?" 

"Is this Mrs. Shortridge?" 

"Yes." 

"Yes, he just said he must make that train." 

"He'll go to the office first won't he ?" 

"Yes, to get his case, I think." 

"Will you please telephone him there to bring 
a roast with him?" 

"To bring what?" 

"A roast." 

Mary was nonplussed. Her husband had the 
reputation of "roasting" his patients and their 
attendants on occasion. Had an occasion arisen 
now? 

"Why, ye-es," she began, uncertainly, when the 
voice spoke again. 

"I mean a roast of beef, Mrs. Blank. I 
thought as the doctor was coming he wouldn't 
mind stopping at the butcher's and bringing me 
a roast — tell him a good-sized one." 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 155 

The receiver clicked. Mary still held hers. 
Then she rang the office. 

"What is it?" Great haste spoke in the voice. 

"John, Mrs. Shortridge wants you to bring her 
a roast of beef when you go down." 

"The devil she does!" 

"The market is right on your way. Hurry. 
Don't miss the train !" She put up the receiver, 
then she snatched it and rang again violently. 

"Now what !" thundered John's voice. 

"She said to get a good-sized one." Standing 
with the receiver in her hand and shaking with 
laughter she heard the office-door shut with a 
bang and knew that he was off. 

She knew that if he had been going in the 
buggy he would have been glad to do Mrs. S.'s 
bidding. He often carried ice and other needful 
things to homes where he visited. Mary pictured 
her husband picking his way along a muddy 
country road, his case in one hand and the 
"roast" in the other, and thought within herself, 
"He'll be in a better mood for a roast when he 
arrives than when he started." 



Mary was out in the kitchen making jelly. At 
the critical moment when the beaded bubbles 
were "winking at the brim" came the ring. She 
lifted the kettle to one side, wiped her hands and 
went. 

"Is this you, Mary ?" 



156 THE STORY OF A 

"Yes." 

"Watch the 'phone a little bit, please. I have 
to be out about half an hour." 

"I'm always watching the 'phone, John, al- 
ways, always!" 

She went back to her jelly. She put it back 
on the fire, an inert mass with all the bubbles 
died out of it. Scarcely had she done so when 
the 'phone rang — two rings. Surely the doctor 
had not got beyond hearing distance. He would 
answer. But perhaps he had — he was a very 
swift walker. The only way to be sure of it 
was to go to the telephone and listen. She went 
hastily back and as she put the receiver to her 
ear there came a buzz against it which made 
her jump. 

"Hello," she said. 

"I wanted the doctor, Mrs. Blank, do you know 
where he is ?" 

"He just 'phoned me that he — " an unmistak- 
able sound arose from the kitchen stove. The 
jelly was boiling over ! Instinct is older than the 
telephone. The receiver dangled in air while 
Mary rushed madly to the rescue. "I might have 
known it," she said to herself, as she pushed the 
kettle aside and rushed back to the 'phone. 

"I guess they cut us off," said the voice, 

"I was just saying," said Mary, "that the doc- 
tor 'phoned me a few minutes ago he would be 
out for half an hour." 

"Will you please tell him when he comes in 
to call up 83?" 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 157 

The man goes on his way, relieved of further 
responsibility in the matter. It will be a very 
easy thing for the doctor's wife to call up her 
husband and give him the message. Let us see. 

When the jelly was done, and Mary had begun 
to fill the waiting glasses she thought, "I'd better 
see if John is back. He may go out again before 
I can deliver that message." So she set 'the kettle 
on the back of the stove and went to ascertain 
if her husband had returned. No answer to her 
ring. She had better ring again to be sure of it. 
No answer. She went back to the kitchen. When 
the glasses were all filled and she had held first 
one and then another up to get the sunlight 
through the clear beautiful redness of them, she 
began setting them back to cool. The telephone ! 
She hurried in and rang again to see if John had 
got back. Silence. She sighed and hung up the 
receiver. "I'd like to get it off my mind." As 
she started toward the kitchen again the door- 
bell rang. She went to open the door, and won- 
der of wonders — an old friend she had not seen 
for years ! 

"I am passing through town, Mary, and have 
just three quarters of an hour till my train goes. 
Now sit down and talk." 

And the pair of them did talk, oblivious to 
everything about them. How the minutes did 
fly and the questions too! The 'phone rang in 
the next room — two rings. On Mary's accus- 
tomed ear it fell unheeded. She talked on. Again 
two rings. She did not notice. 



158 THE STORY OF A 

"Isn't that your 'phone ?" asked the visitor. 

"O, yes! You knocked it clean out of my 
head, Alice. Excuse me a minute," and she van- 
ished. 

"Did you give that message to the doctor ?" 

"He is not back yet." 

"I saw him go into the office not ten minutes 
ago." 

"I have 'phoned twice and failed to find him." 

"I hoped when I saw him leave the office that 
he had started down to see my little boy, but of 
course he hasn't if he didn't get the message." 

"I am sorry. An old friend I had not seen for 
years came in and of course it went out of my 
mind for a few minutes, though I 'phoned twice 
before she came. I am sure he will be back in 
a few minutes and I will send him right down, 
Mr. Nelson." 

"Why do you do that?" asked her friend, 
pointedly as she came in. "Why take upon your- 
self the responsibility of people's messages be- 
ing delivered." 

"It is an awful responsibility. I don't know 
why I do it — so many people seem to expect it 
as a matter of course — " 

"It's a great deal easier for each person to de- 
liver his own message than for you to have a 
half dozen on your mind at once. I wouldn't do 
it. You'll be a raving lunatic by the next time 
I see you." 

"At least I'll have ample time in which to be- 
come one," laughed Mary. 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 159 

"I'm going," announced her friend, suddenly- 
rising. "I could spare five or ten minutes more 
but if I sit here you'll forget that 'phone again. 
But take my advice, Mary, and institute a change 
in the order of things." 

When she had gone Mary sat for a few min- 
utes lost in thought. Then, remembering, she 
sprang up and went to the 'phone. No answer 
to her ring. "Dear me! Will I never get that 
message delivered and off my mind." Soon a 
ring came. 

"Isn't he back yet?' 

"I 'phoned about three minutes ago and failed 
to get him. By the way, Mr. Nelson, will you 
just 'phone the doctor at the office, please? That 
will be a more direct way to get him as I seem 
to fail altogether this morning. I am sure that 
he can't be gone much longer," she said very 
pleasantly and hung up the receiver. The re- 
sponsibility had been gracefully shifted and she 
was free for a while. Other occasions would 
arise when she could not be free, but in cases of 
this kind her friend's clear insight had helped 
her out. 



Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. 

"Hello." 

"Is this Dr. Blank?" 

"Yes." 

"My husband has just started for your office. 



160 THE STORY OF A 

He says he's going to send you down. I don't 
need a doctor. Will you tell him that?" 

"I'll tell him you said so." 

"Well, I don't. So don't you come!" 

"All right. I haven't got time to be bothered 
with you anyway. The sick people take my 
time." 

In a few minutes the 'phone rang again. 

"Dr. Blank, can you come over to the Woolson 
Hotel?" 

"Right away?" 

"Yes, if you can. There's a case here I've 
treated a little that I'm not satisfied about." 

"All right, Doctor, I'll be there in a few min- 
utes." 

When he reached the hotel and had examined 
the patient he said, "He has smallpox." 

"I began to suspect that." 

"Not a bit of doubt of it." 

"The hotel is full of people — I'm afraid 
there'll be a panic." 

"We must get him out of here. We'll have 
to improvise a pest-house at once. I'll go and 
see about it." 

That evening about an hour after supper the 
doctor's daughter came hurriedly into the room 
where her mother was sitting. 

"Mother," she exclaimed, "there's an awful lot 
of people in the office, a regular mob and they're 
as mad as fury." 

"What about ?" exclaimed her mother, startled. 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 161 

"They're mad at father for putting the tent for 
a smallpox patient down in their neighborhood." 

"Is he in the office now?" 

"He was there when I first went in but he 
isn't there just now. Father wasn't a bit dis- 
turbed, but I am. I got out of there. The mayor 
went into the office just as I came out." 

Uneasy, in spite of herself, Mary waited her 
husband's return. Ten' o'clock, and he had not 
come. She went to the 'phone and called the 
office. The office man answered. 

"Where is the doctor?" 

"He was in here a few minutes ago, but 
there's a big fuss down at the smallpox tent and 
I think he's gone down there." 

Mary rang off and with nervous haste called 
the mayor's residence. 

"Is this Mr. Felton?" 

"Yes." 

"This is Mrs. Blank. I am very uneasy about 
the doctor, Mr. Felton. I hear he has just started 
down to the smallpox tent. Won't you please 
see that someone goes down at once ?" 

"Yes, Mrs. Blank. I came from there a little 
while ago but they're mad at the doctor and I'll 
go right back. I'm not going to bed until I 
know everything's quieted down." 

"And you'll take others with you ?" she pleaded, 
but the mayor was gone. Again she waited in 
great anxiety. The tent was too far away for 
her to go out into the night in search of him. 



162 THE STORY OF A 

Between eleven and twelve o'clock she heard 
footsteps. She rose and went to the door. Al- 
most she expected to see her husband brought 
home ton a stretcher. But there he came, walking 
with buoyant step. When he came in he kissed 
his anxious wife and then broke into a laugh. 

"My ! how good that sounds ! I heard of the 
mob and have been frightened out of my wits." 

"They've quieted down now. There wasn't a 
bit of sense in what they did." 

"Well, I don't know that one can really blame 
them for not wanting smallpox brought into the 
neighborhood. Couldn't you have taken the tent 
farther out?" 

"Yes, if we had had time. But we had a sick 
man on our hands — he had to be got out of the 
hotel and he had to be taken care of right away. 
He had to have a nurse. There must be water 
in the tent and the nurse can't be running out 
of a pest-house to get it. Neither can anyone 
carry it to such a place. So we couldn't put it 
beyond the water- and gas-pipes — there must be 
heat, too, you know. We have done the very 
best we could without more time. The nearest 
house is fifty yards away and there's absolutely 
no danger if the people down there will just 
get vaccinated and then keep away from the 
tent." 

"They surely will do that." 

"Some of them may. One fool said to me 
awhile ago when I told them that, 'Oh, yes! we 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 163 

see your game. You want to get a lot of money 
out of us/ " 

"What did you say to that ancient charge," 
asked Mary, smiling. 

"I said, 'My man, I'll pay for the virus, and 
I'll vaccinate everyone of you, and everyone in 
that neighborhood and it won't cost you a cent'." 

"Did he look ashamed?" 

"I didn't wait to see. I had urgent business 
out just then." 

"Is the patient in the tent now ?" 

"Yes, all snug and comfortable with a nurse 
to take care of him. That was my urgent busi- 
ness. I went into the back room of the office in 
the midst of their jabber, slipped out the door, 
got into the buggy hitched back there, drove to 
the hotel and with Dr. Collins' help, got the pa- 
tient down the ladder waiting for us, into the 
buggy, then got the nurse down the ladder and 
in, too, then away we drove lickety-cut for the 
tent while the mob was away from there. Then 
I went back to the office and attended the meet- 
ing," added the doctor, laughing heartily. 

His wife laughed too, but rather uneasily. 
"Were they still there when you got back?" 

"Every mother's son of 'em. They didn't stay 
long though. I advised them to go home, that 
the patient was in the tent and would stay there. 
They broke for the tent — vowed they'd set fire 
to it with him in it and I think they intended to 
hang me," and the doctor laughed again. 



164 THE STORY OF A 

"John, don't ever get into such a scrape again. 
I 'phoned Mr. Felton and begged him to go down 
there and take someone with him." 

"You did? Well, he came, and it happened 
there was a member of the State Board of Health 
in town who had got on to the racket. He came, 
too, and you ought to have heard him read the 
riot act to those fellows : 

" 'We've got a sick man here — a stranger, 
far from his home. You are in no danger what- 
ever. Every doctor in town has told you so. 
We're going to take care of this man and don't 
you forget it. We have the whole State of Illi- 
nois behind us, and if this damned foolishness 
don't stop right here, I'll have the militia here in 
a few hours' time and arrest every one of you.' 
That quieted them. They slunk off home and 
won't bother us any more." 



Three or four days after the above conversa- 
tion Mary stood at the window looking out at the 
storm which was raging. The wind was blow- 
ing fearfully and the rain coming down in tor- 
rents. "I do hope John will not be called to the 
country today," she thought. 

Ting-a-ling-ling-ling — three rings. 

"Is this Dr. Blank's office?" asked a feminine 
voice. 

"No, his residence." 

"Mrs. Blank, this is the nurse at the smallpox 






DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 165 

tent. Will you 'phone the office and tell the doc- 
tor it's raining in down here terribly. I'm in a 
hurry, must spread things over the patient." 

"Very well, I'll 'phone him," and she rang 
twice. No reply. Again. No reply. 'Too bad 
he isn't in. I'll have to wait a few minutes." 

In five minutes she rang again, but got no re- 
ply. In another minute she was called to the 
'phone. 

"Didn't you get word to the doctor, Mrs. 
Blank?" asked a voice, full of anxiety. "I'm 
afraid we'll drown before he gets here." 

"I have been anxiously watching for him, but 
he must be visiting a patient. Hold the 'phone 
please till I ring again." This time her husband 
answered. 

"Doctor, here's the nurse at the tent to speak 
to you." She waited to hear what he would say. 

"Doctor, please come down here and help us. 
The roof is leaking awfully and we are about to 
drown." 

"All right, I'll be down after a little." 

"Don't wait too long." 

Mary's practised ear caught something begin- 
ning with a capital D as the receiver clicked. 

"Poor old John," she murmured, "it's awful 
— the things you have to do." 

The doctor got into his rubber coat and set 
out for his improvised pest-house. 

When he came home Mary asked, "Did you 
stop the leak ?" 



166 THE STORY OF A 

"I did. But I had a devil of a time doing it." 

"I'm curious to know how you would go 
about it." 

"The roof was double and I had to straighten 
out and stretch the upper canvas with the wind 
blowing it out of my hands and nobody to help 
me hold it." 

"Was there nobody in sight?" 

"That infernal coward of a watchman, but I 
couldn't get him near the tent — he's had small- 
pox, too." 

"I should think the nurse could have helped a 
little, that is if she knew where to take hold of 
it, and what to do with it when she got hold." 

"O, she sputtered around some and imagined 
she was helping." 

"Poor thing," said Mary, laughing, "I know 
just how bewildered she was with you storming 
commands at her which she couldn't understand 
— women can't." 

Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. 
Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. 

The doctor helloed gruffly. 

"Is this you, Doc?" 

"Looks like it." 

"We want ye to come down here an' diagnosis 
these cases." 

"What cases!" 

"There's two down here." 

"Down where?" 

"Down here at my house." 






DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 167 

"Well, who the devil are you?" 

"Bill Masters. We're afraid maybe it's small- 
pox." 

"Yes, yes!" snarled the doctor, "every pimple 
around here for the next three months will be 
smallpox." 

"Well, we want ye to diagnosis it, Doc." 

"All right. I'll 'diagnosis' it the first time I'm 
down that way — maybe this evening or tomor- 
row," and he slammed the receiver up and went 
to bed. 



One evening the doctor was waiting for the 
stork at a farmhouse some miles from home. He 
concluded to telephone his wife as it might be 
several hours before he got in. He rang and 
put the receiver to his ear : 

"Did you put your washin' out today ?" 

"No, did you?" 

"No, I thought it looked too rainy." 

"So did I. I hope it'll clear up by mornin'." 

"Have you got your baby to sleep yet?" 

"Land ! yes. He goes to sleep right after 
supper." 

"Mine's not that kind of a kid. He's wider 
awake than any of us this minute." 

"Got your dress cut out ?" 

"No, maybe I'll git around to it tomorrow af- 
ternoon, if I don't have forty other things to do." 

"Did ye hear about — " 



168 THE STORY OF A 

Seeing no chance to get in the doctor re- 
treated. Half an hour later he rang again. A 
giggle and a loud girlish voice in his ear ask- 
ing, "Is this you, Nettie?" 

"This is me." 

"Do you know who this is ?" 

"Course I do." 

"Bet ye don't." 

"Bet I do." 

"Who?" 

"It's Mollie, of course." 

"You've guessed it. I tried to change my voice 
so you wouldn't know me." 

"What fer?" 

"Oh, cat-fur to make kitten breeches." 

Mild laughter. 

"I heard that you gave Jake the mitten last 
night." 

"Who told ye?" 

"Oh, a little bird." 

"Say! Whodirftellye?" 

"You'll never, never tell if I do?" 

The clock near the patiently waiting doctor 
struck nine quick short strokes. 

"Did you hear that?" asked the first voice, 
startled. 

"Whose clock is that?" 

"Johnson's haven't got one like that." 

"Miller's haven't neither." 

"I'll tell you — it's Gray's — their clock strikes 
quick like that." 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 169 

"Then there's somebody at their 'phone lis- 
tenin' !" 

"Goodness! Maybe it's Jake, just like him!" 

"Jake Gray, if that's you, you're a mean eaves- 
droppin' sneak an' that's what I think of you! 
Good-bye, Nettie." And as the receiver slammed 
into its place the doctor shook with laughter. 

"This seems to be my opportunity," he 
thought, then rang and delivered the message to 
his wife. Often these dialogues kept him from 
hearing or delivering some important message 
and then he fumed inwardly, but tonight he had 
time to spare and to laugh. 



After a little the 'phone rang. "It's someone 
wanting you, Doctor," said the man of the house 
who answered it. The doctor went. 

"Is this you, Doctor Blank?" 

"Yes." 

"I want you — " 

The doctor heard no more. This was a party 
line and every receiver on it came down. A 
dozen people were listening to find out who 
wanted the doctor and what for. All on the line 
knew that Doctor Blank had been at the Gray 
farmhouse for hours. The message being pri- 
vate, there was silence. The doctor waited a 
minute then his wrath burst forth. 

"Damn it! Hang up your receivers, all you 
eavesdroppers, so I can get this message!" 



170 THE STORY OF A 

Click, click, click, click, and lots of people 
mad, but the doctor got the message. 



Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. 

"Is this Mrs. Blank?" 

"Yes." 

"I telephoned the office and couldn't get the 
doctor so I'll tell you what I wanted and you can 
tell him. His patient down here in the country, 
Mrs. Miller, is out of powders and she wants him 
to send some down by Mrs. Richards, if he can 
find her." 

"Where is Mrs. Richards?" 

"She's up there in town somewhere." 

"Does she know that the powders are to be 
sent by her and will she call at the office?" 

"No, I don't think she knows anything about 
it. Mrs. Miller didn't know she was out till after 
she left. That's all," and she was gone. 

"All !" echoed Mary. 

In a few minutes when she thought her hus- 
band had had time to return she went to the 
'phone and told him he must go out and hunt up 
Mrs. Richards. 

"What for?" 

"Because Mrs. Miller wants you to find her 
and send some powders down by her." 

An explosion came and Mary retired laughing 
and marvelling to what strange uses telephones 
— and doctors — are put. 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 171 



CHAPTER XII. 

It was a lovely morning in late September. 
The sun almost shone through the film of light 
gray clouds which lay serenely over all the heav- 
ens. There was a golden gleam in the at- 
mosphere, 

"And a tender touch upon everything 
As if Autumn remembered the days of Spring." 

The doctor and his wife were keenly alive to 
the beauty of the day. After they had driven 
several miles they stopped before a little brown 
house. The doctor said he would like Mary to 
go in and she followed him into the low-ceiled 
room. 

"Here, you youngsters, go out into the yard," 
said the mother of the children. "There ain't 
room to turn around when you all get in." They 
went. A baby seven or eight months old sat on 
the floor and stared up at Mary as she seated 
herself near it. Two women of the neighbor- 
hood sat solemnly near by. The doctor ap- 
proached the bed on which a young woman of 
eighteen or twenty years was lying. 

"My heart hain't beat for five minutes," she 
said. 

"Is that so ?" said the doctor, quite calm in the 



172 THE STORY OF A 

face of an announcement so startling. "Well, 
we'll have to start it up again." 

"That's the first time she has spoke since yes- 
terday morning," said one of the solemn women 
in a low tone to the doctor. 

"It didn't hurt her to keep still. She could 
have spoken if she had wanted to." The two 
women looked at each other. "No, she couldn't 
speak, Doctor," said one of them. 

"Oh, yes she could," replied the doctor with 
great nonchalance. 

"I couldn't!" said the patient with much vigor. 
This was just what he wanted. He examined 
her carefully but said not a word. 

"How long do you think I'll live?" she asked 
after a little. 

"Well, that's a hard question to answer — but 
you ought to be good for forty or fifty years yet." 

The patient sniffed contemptuously. "Huh, I 
guess you don't know it all if you are a doctor." 

"I know enough to know there's mighty little 
the matter with you" He turned to one of the 
women. "I would like to see her mother," he 
said. The mother had left the room on an er- 
rand ; the woman rose and went out. There was 
a pause which Mary broke by asking the baby's 
name. 

"We think we'll call her Orient." 

"Why not Occident?" thought Mary, but she 
kept still. Not so the doctor. "That's no name. 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 173 

Give her a good sensible name — one she won't 
be ashamed of when she's a woman." 

Here Mary caught sight of a red string around 
the baby's neck, and asked if it was a charm of 
some sort. The mother took hold of the string 
and drew up the charm. "It's a blind hog's 
tooth," she said simply, "to make her cut her 
teeth easy." 

The mother of the patient came into the room. 
"How do you think she is, Doctor?" 

"Oh, she's not so sick as you thought she was, 
not near." 

The mother looked relieved. "She had an aw- 
ful bad spell last night. Do you think she won't 
have any more?" 

"No, she won't have any more." The look on 
the patient's face said plainly, "We'll see about 
that." It did not escape the doctor. 

"But in case you should see any signs of a 
spell coming on, and if she gets so she can't 
speak again, then you must — but come into the 
next room," he said in a low voice. 

They went into an adjoining room, the doctor 
taking care to leave the door ajar. Then in a 
voice ostensibly low enough that the patient 
might not hear and yet so distinct that she 
could hear every word, he delivered his instruc- 
tions : "Now, if she has any more spells she 
must be blistered all the way from her neck down 
to the end of her spine." The mother looked 
terrified. "And if she gets so she can't speak 



174 THE STORY OF A 

again, it will be necessary to put a seton through 
the back of her neck." 

"What is a seton?" faltered the woman. 

"Oh, it's nothing but a big needle six or eight 
inches long, threaded with coarse cord. It must 
be drawn through the flesh and left there for a 
while." Then in a tone so low that only the 
mother could hear, he said, "Don't pay much at- 
tention to her. She'll never have those spells un- 
less there is somebody around to see her." 

He walked into the other room and took up 
his hat and case. 

"I left some powders on the table," he said to 
the mother. "You may give her one just be- 
fore dinner and another tonight." 

"Will it make any difference if she doesn't 
take it till tonight?" 

"Not a bit." 

"Pa's gone and I didn't 'low to git any dinner 
today." 

At this announcement Mary heard something 
between a sigh and a groan and turning, saw a 
rosy-cheeked boy in the doorway. There was a 
look of resigned despair on his face and Mary 
smiled sympathetically at him as she went out. 
How many lads and lassies could have sympa- 
thized with him too, having been victims to that 
widespread feeling among housewives that when 
"Pa" is gone no dinner need be got and some- 
times not much supper. 

As the doctor and his wife started down the 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 175 

walk they heard a voice say, "Ma, don't you ever 
send for that smart-aleck doctor agin. I won't 
have him." The doctor shook with laughter 
as he untied the horse. 

"They won't need to send for me 'agin/ I 
like to get hold of a fine case of hysterics once 
in a while — it makes things lively." 

"The treatment you prescribed was certainly 
heroic enough," said Mary. 

They had driven about a mile, when, in pass- 
ing a house a young man signaled the doctor to 
stop. "Mother has been bleeding at the nose a 
good deal," he said, coming down to the gate. 
"I wish you would stop and see her. She'll be 
glad to see you, too, Mrs. Blank." 

They were met at the door by a little old wo- 
man in a rather short dress and in rather large 
ear-rings. Her husband, two grown daughters 
and three children sat and stood in the room. 

"So you've been bleeding at the nose, Mrs. 
Haig?" said the doctor, looking at his patient 
who now sat down. 

"Yes, sir, and it's a-gittin' me down. I've 
been in bed part of the day." 

"It's been bleedin' off and on for two days 
and nights," said the husband. 

"Did you try pretty hard to stop it ?" 

"Yes, sir, I tried everything I ever heerd tell 
of, and everything the neighbors wanted me to 
try, but it didn't do no good." 

"Open the door and sit here where I can have 



176 THE STORY OF A 

a good light to examine your nose by," the doc- 
tor said to the patient. She brought her chair 
and the young man opened the door. As he did 
so there was a mad rush between the old man 
and his two daughters for the door opposite. 

"Shet that door, quick !" the old man shouted, 
and it was instantly done. Mary looked around 
with frightened eyes. Had some wild beast es- 
caped from a passing menagerie and was it com- 
ing in to devour the household? There was a 
swirl of ashes and sparks from the big fireplace. 

"This is the blamedest house that ever was 
built," said Mr. Haig. 

"Who built it?" queried the doctor. 

"I built it myself and like a derned fool went 
an' put the fireplace right between these two 
outside doors, so if you open one an' the other 
happens to be open the fire and ashes just flies/* 

The doctor took an instrument from his pocket 
and proceeded with his examination. 

"But there's a house back here on the hill 
about a mile that beats this," said the old man. 

"That is a queer-looking house," said Mary. 
"It has no front door at all." 

"No side door, neither. When a feller wants 
to get in that house there's just one of three 
ways: he has to go around and through the 
kitchen, or through a winder, or down the 
chimney." 

"If he was little enough he might go through 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 177 

the cat-hole," suggested the young man, at which 
they all laughed. 

"And what may that be?" asked the mysti- 
fied Mary. 

"It's a square hole cut in the bottom of the 
door for the cat to go in and out at. The man 
that owns the place said he believed in having 
things handy." 

"Now, let me see your throat," said the doc- 
tor. The patient opened her mouth to such an 
amazing extent that the doctor said, "No, I will 
stand on the outside!" which made Mary 
ashamed of him, but the old couple laughed heart- 
ily. They had known this doctor a good many 
years. 

"What have you been doing to stop the bleed- 
ing?" he asked. 

"I've been a-tryin' charms and conjurin', 
mostly." 

Mary saw that there was no smile on her face 
or on any other face in the room. She spoke in 
a sincere and matter-of-fact way. "Old Uncle 
Peter, down here a piece, has cured many a case 
of nose-bleed but he hain't 'peared to help mine." 

"How does he go about it ?" asked Mary. 

"W'y, don't you know nothin' 'bout con- 
jurin'?" 

"Nothing at all." 

"I thought you bein' a doctor's wife would 
know things like that." 



178 THE STORY OF A 

"I don't believe my husband practises con- 
juring much.'' 

"Well, Uncle Peter takes the Bible, and opens 
it, and says some words over it, and pretty soon 
the bleedin' stops." 

"Which stops it, the Bible or the words?" 

"W'y - — both I reckon, but the words does the 
most of it. They're the charm and nobody 
knows 'em but him." 

"Where did he learn them?" 

"His father was a conjurer and when he died 
he tol* the words to Uncle Peter an' give the 
power to him." 

"Did he come up here to conjure you?" asked 
the doctor. 

"No, he says he can do it just as well at home." 

"He can. But I think we can stop the bleed- 
ing without bothering Uncle Peter any more. I'd 
like a pair of scissors," he said, meaning to cut 
some papers for powders. 

"They won't do no good. I've tried 'em." 

"What do you think I want with them?" 

"I 'lowed you wanted to put 'em under the 
piller. That'll cure nose-bleed lots of times. 
Maybe you don't believe it, but it's so." 

"Can Uncle Peter cure other things?" asked 
Mary. 

"He can that. My nephew had the chills last 
year and shook and shook. At last he went to 
Uncle Peter an' he cured him." 

"He shot 'em," said Mr. Haig. 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 179 

"Yes, he told him to take sixteen shot every 
mornin' for sixteen days and by the time he got 
through he didn't shake a bit." 

"By jings! he was so heavy he couldn't," said 
Mr. Haig, and in the laugh that followed the doc- 
tor and his wife rose to go. A neighboring wo- 
man with a baby in her arms had come in and 
seated herself near the door. As he passed out 
the doctor stopped to inquire, "How's that sore 
breast? You haven't been back again." 

"It's about well. William found a mole at 
last and when I put the skin of it on my breast 
it cured it. I knowed it would, but when we 
wanted a mole there wasn't none to be found, so 
I had to go and see you about it." 

"I thought it would soon be well. Good for 
the mole-skin," laughed the doctor, as they took 
their leave. 

When they had started homeward they looked 
at each other, the doctor with a smile in his eyes 
— he had encountered this sort of thing so often 
in his professional life that he was quite accus- 
tomed to it. But Mary's brown eyes were seri- 
ous. "John," she said, "when will the reign of 
ignorance and superstition end?" 

"When Time shall be no more, my dear." 

"So it seems. Those people, while lacking edu- 
cation, seem to be fairly intelligent and yet their 
lives are dominated by things like these." 

"Yes, and not only people of fair intelligence 
but of fair education too. While they would 



180 THE STORY OF A 

laugh at what we saw and heard back there they 
are holding fast to things equally senseless and 
ridiculous. Then there are thoroughly educated 
and cultured people holding fast to little super- 
stitions which had their birth in ignorance away 
back in the past somewhere. How many people 
do you know who want to see the new moon over 
the left shoulder? And didn't I hear you com- 
manding Jack just the other day to take the 
hoe right out of the house and to go out the 
same door he came in ?" 

"O, ye-es, but then nobody wants to have a hoe 
carried through the house, John. It's such a 
bad sign — " 

The doctor laughed. "This thing is so wide- 
spread there seems to be no hope of eliminating 
it entirely though I believe physicians are doing 
more than anybody else toward crushing it out." 

"Can they reason and argue people out of 
these things?" 

"Not often. Good-natured ridicule is an ef- 
fective shaft and one I like to turn upon them 
sometimes. They get so they don't want to say 
those things to me, and so perhaps they get to 
see after a while that it is just as well not to 
say them too often to other people, too." 

"Don't drive so fast, John, the day is too glori- 
ous." 

Yellow butterflies flitted hither and thither 
down the road ; the corn in the fields was turning 
brown and out from among it peeped here and 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 181 

there a pumpkin ; the trees in apple orchards 
were bending low with their rosy and golden 
treasures. They passed a pool of water and saw 
reflected there the purple asters blooming above 
it. By and by the doctor turned down a grassy 
road leading up to a farmhouse a short distance 
away. "Are you to make another call today?" 
asked his wife. 

"Yes, there is a very sick child here." 

When he had gone inside three or four chil- 
dren came out. A curly-headed little girl edged 
close and looked up into Mary's face. 

"Miss' Blank, you know where Mr. Blank got 
our baby, don't you?" 

Mary, smiling down at the little questioner, 
said, "The doctor didn't tell me anything about 
it." The little faces looked surprised and disap- 
pointed. 

"We thought you'd know an' we come out to 
ask you," said another little girl. "You make 
all the babies' dresses, don't you?" 

"Dear me, no indeed!" laughed the doctor's 
wife. 

"Does he keep all the babies at your house?" 
asked the little boy. 

"I think not. I never see them there." 

"Didn't he ever bring any to your house?" 

"Oh, yes, five of them." 

"I'd watch and see- where he gets 'em," said 
the little fellow stoutly. "Jimmie Brown said 



182 THE STORY OF A 

Mr. Blank found their baby down in the woods 
in an old holler log." 

The doctor came out, and the little boy look- 
ing up at him asked, "Is they any more babies 
down in the woods?" 

"Yes, yes, 'the woods is full of 'em,' n laughed 
the doctor as he drove off leaving the little group 
quite unsatisfied. 

When they had gone some distance two wag- 
ons appeared on the brow of the hill in front of 
them. "Hold on, Doctor," shouted the first 
driver, as the doctor was driving rapidly by, "I 
want to sell you a watermelon." 

"Will you take your pay in pills?" 

"Don't b'lieve I have any use for pills." 

"Don't want one then, I'm broke this morn- 
ing," and he passed the second wagon and pulled 
his horse into the road again. 

"Wait a minute! I'll trade you a melon for 
some pills," called the driver. He spread the 
reins over the dashboard and clambered down; 
the man in front looked back at him with a grin. 
"I've got two kinds here, the Cyclone and the 
Monarch, which would you rather have?" 

"Oh, I don't care," said the doctor. 

"Let us have a Monarch, please," said Mary. 
Monarch was a prettier name than Cyclone, and 
besides there was no sense in giving so violent 
a name to so peaceful a thing as a watermelon. 
So the Monarch was brought and deposited in 
the back of the buggy. 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 183 

The doctor opened his case. "Take your 
choice." 

"What do you call this kind?" 

"I call that kind Little Devils." 

"How many of 'em would a feller dare take 
at once?" 

"Well, I wouldn't take more than three unless 
you have a lawyer handy to make your will." 

"Why, will they hurt me ?" 

"They'll bring the answer if you take enough 
of 'em." 

The man eyed the pills dubiously, — "I be- 
lieve I'll let that kind alone. What kind is this ?" 

"These are podophyllin pills." 

"Gee, the name's enough to kill a feller." 

"Well, Morning-Glories is a good name. If 
you take too many you'll be wafted straight to 
glory in the morning, and the road will be a 
little rough in places." 

"Confound it, Jake," called the first driver, 
"don't you take none of 'em. Don't monkey with 
'em." But Jake had agreed to trade a melon for 
pills. He held out his big hand. "Pour me out 
some of them Little Devils. I'll risk 'em." 

The doctor emptied the small bottle into Jake's 
hand, replaced it in the case and drove off. 

"John, why in the world didn't you give him 
some instructions as to how to take them ?" asked 
Mary, energetically. 

"He didn't ask me to prescribe for him, my 



184 THE STORY OF A 

dear. He wanted to trade a watermelon for pills 
and we traded." 

"For pity's sake," said Mary indignantly, "and 
you're going to let that man kill himself while 
you strain at a point of professional etiquette!" 
She was gazing back at the unfortunate man. 

"Don't you worry, he'll be too much afraid 
of them to hurt himself with them," said the doc- 
tor, laughing. 

"I sincerely hope he will." 

As they came in sight of home the doctor, 
who had been silent for some time, sighed heav- 
ily. "I am thinking of that little child out there. 
I tell you, Mary, a case of meningitis makes a 
man feel his Imitations." 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 185 



CHAPTER XIII. 

A long, importunate peal. The doctor rose 
and went swiftly. Mary listened with interest 
to what was to come: 

it •pjy 

"Yes." 

"Yes." ' 

"Yes." 

"Yes." 

"Yes." 
He rang off. 

"That was decided in the affirmative," said 
Mary. 



Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. 

"Doctor, do you think the baby will cut any 
more teeth this summer?" 

"You'd better ring up Solomon and ask that." 

"Well — if he gets through teething' — don't 
you think he'll be all right?" 

"If he gets through with the way you feed him 
he'll be all right." 



1 86 THE STORY OF A 

"Well, his teething has lots to do with it." 
"No, it don't — not a darned bit. If you'll 
take care of his stomach his teeth will take care 
of themselves. It's what goes between the teeth 
that does the mischief. I keep telling people that 
every day, and once in a while I find someone 
with sense enough to believe it. But a lot of 'em 
know too much — then the baby has to pay 
for it." 

"Well, I'll be awful careful, Doctor." 
"All right then. And stick right to the baby 
through the hot months. Let me hear from it. 
Good-bye." 



Ting-a-ling-ling-ling — three times. Mary rose 
and went. An agitated voice said, "Come and 
see the baby!" and was gone. "She is terribly 
frightened," thought Mary, as she rang central. 

"Some one rang Dr. Blank. Can you find 
out who it was?" 

"I'm afraid not." 

"Will you please try?" 

"Yes, but people ought to do their own talk- 
ing and not bother us so much." 

"I know," said Mary gently, "but this is a 
mother badly frightened about her baby — she 
did not think what she was doing and left the 
'phone without giving me her name." 

Central tried with such good result that Mary 
was soon in possession of the name and number. 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 187 

She telephoned that she would send the doctor 
down as soon as she could find him, which she 
thought would be in a few minutes. Then she 
telephoned a house where he had been for sev- 
eral days making evening visits. 
"Is Dr. Blank there?" 
"He was here. He's just gone." 
"Is he too far away for you to call him?" 
"Run and see, Tommy." 
Silence. Then, "Yes, he's got too far to hear. 
I'm sorry." 

"Very well. Thank you." 
"Let me see," she meditated, "yes, I think he 
goes there." 

She got the house. "Is Dr. Blank there?" 
"He's just coming through the gate." 
"Please ask him to come to the 'phone." After 
a minute his voice asked what was wanted and 
Mary delivered her message. 

When her husband came home that night, she 
said, "John, there's one more place you're to go 
and you're to be there at nine o'clock." 

"The deuce!" he looked at his watch, "ten 
minutes to nine now. Where is it ?" 
"I don't know." 
"Don't know?" 

"No. I haven't the slightest idea." 
"Why didn't you find out," he asked, sharply. 
Mary arched her brows. "Suppose you find out." 
John rang central. With twinkling eyes his 
wife listened. 



188 THE STORY OF A 

"Hello, central. Who was calling Dr. Blank a 
while ago?" 

"A good many people call, Dr. Blank. I really 
cannot say." 

The voice was icily regular, spendidly null. It 
nettled the doctor. 

"Suppose you try to find out." 

"People who need a doctor ought to be as 
much interested as we are. I don't know who 
it was." And the receiver went up. 

"Damned impudence!" said the doctor, slam- 
ming up his receiver and facing about. 

"Wait, John. That girl has had to run down 
the woman with the sick baby. She didn't give 
her name either. Central had lots of trouble in 
finding her. It's small wonder she rebelled when 
I came at her the second time. So all I could 
do was to deliver the message just as it came, 
'Tell the doctor to come down to our house and 
to be here at nine o'clock.' " 

"Consultation, I suppose. They'll ring again 
pretty soon, I dare say, and want to know why 
I don't hurry up." 

But nothing further was heard from the mes- 
sage or the messenger that night or ever after. 



Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. 

Can we move Henry out into the yard? It's 
so hot inside. 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 189 

Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. 

Can we move Jennie into the house? It gets 
pretty cold along toward morning. 

Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. 

Doctor, you know those pink tablets you left? 
I forget just how you said to take 'em. 

Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. 

The baby's throwing up like everything. 

Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. 

Johnny's swallowed a nickel ! . . . . You say it 
won't ? . . . . And not give him anything at all ? 
Well, I needn't have been so scared, then. 

Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. 

The baby pulled the cat's tail and she scratched 
her in the face. I'm afraid she's put her eye 

out No, the baby's eye. I'm afraid she 

can't see No, she's not crying. She's going 

to sleep Well, I guess she can't see very 

well with her eyes shut Then you won't 

come down ? . . . . All right, Doctor, you know 
best. 

Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. 

"Is this the doctor?" 

"Yes." 

"The baby has a cold and I rubbed her chest 
with vaseline and greased her nose. Is that all 
right?" 

"All right." 



i go THE STORY OF A 

"And I am going to make her some onion 
syrup, if I can remember how it's made. How 
do you make it?" 

"Why — O, yon remember how to make it." 

The truth is the doctor was not profoundly 
learned in some of the "home remedies" and was 
more helpless than the little mother herself, 
which she did not suspect. 

"You slice the onions and put sugar on them, 
don't you?" 

"Yes, that'll be all right," he said, hastily put- 
ting up the receiver. 

Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. 

"Doctor, when you come down, bring some- 
thing for my fever — " 

"Yes, I will !" 

"And for my nervousness — " 

"Yes, yes." The doctor turned quickly from 
the 'phone, but it rang again. 

"And for my back, Doctor — " 

"Yes. Yes!" He put the receiver up with a 
bang and seizing his hat rushed away before 
there should be any more. 



Three rings. 

"Is this Dr. Blank's?" 

"Yes." 

"Is he there?" 

"No, but I expect him very soon." 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 191 

"When he comes will you tell him to come 
out to Frank Tiller's?" 

"Does he know where that is ?" 

"He was here once." 

"Lately?" 

"No, some time ago." 

"Please tell me what street you live on, so the 
doctor will know where to go." Mary heard a 
consultation of a minute. 

"It's on Oak street." 

"East Oak or West?" Another consultation. 

"North." 

"Very well. I'll tell the doctor as soon as he 
comes." 

"Tell him to come as quick as he possibly can." 

Five minutes later the office ring came. Mary 
went obediently lest her husband might not be 
in. She heard the same voice ask, "Is this you, 
Doctor?" 

"Yes." 

"We want you to come out to Frank Tiller's 
as quick as you possibly can." 

"Where is that?" 

"You've been here." 

"Where do you live!'' 

"We live on Oak street." 

"East or West?" 

"North." 

"That street runs east and west!" 

"Ma, he says the street runs east and west." 

"Well maybe it does. I've not got my di- 
rections here yet — then it must be west." 



192 THE STORY OF A 

"It's on West Oak street, Doctor." 

The doctor was not quite able to locate the 
place yet. 

"Is it the house where the girl had the sore 
throat?" 

"Ma, he says, is it the place where the girl had 
the sore throat?" 

"It's just in front of that house." 

"She says it's just in front of that house and 
come just as quick as you possibly can." 

"What does she mean by 'in front of it' ?" 

"Why, it's just across the street, and come 
just as quick as you possibly — " 

"Yes. I'll run." 

Mary smiled, but she was glad to hear her hus- 
band add a little more pleasantly, "I'll be out 
there after a little." 

When he came home he said, laughing, "That 
girl up there took the medicine I gave her and 
pounded the bottle to flinders before my eyes." 

"What for?" 

"O, she was mad." 

"What did you do then?" 

"Reached down in my pocket and took out 
another one just like it and told them to give 
it according to directions." 

"Nothing like being prepared." 

"I knew pretty well what I was up against be- 
fore I went. The old complaint," said John, 
drawing on his slippers as he spoke. 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 193 



CHAPTER XIV. 

Mary had been down the street, shopping. 
"I'll drop in and visit with John a few minutes," 
she thought, as she drew near the office. When 
she entered her husband was at the telephone 
with his back toward her. 

"Hello. What is it?" 

"Shake up your 'phone, I can't hear a word 
you're saying." 

"Who?" 

"Oh, yes, / know." Exasperation was in every 
letter of every word. 

"Take one every six months and let me hear 
from you when they're all gone." Slam ! "There's 
always some damned thing," he muttered, and 
turning faced his wife. 

"A surprising prescription, John. What does 
it mean?" 

"It means that she's one of these everlasting 
complainers and that I'm tired of hearing her. 
She's been to Chicago and St. Louis and Cincin- 
nati. She's had three or four laparotomies and 
every time she comes back to me with a longer 
story and a worse one. They've got about 
everything but her appendix and they'll get that 
if she don't watch out." 



194 THE STORY OF A 

"Why, I thought they always got that the first 
thing." 

"You have no idea how it tires a man to have 
people come to him and complain, complain, 
complain. The story is ever new to them but it 
gets mighty old to the doctor. Then they go 
away to the city and some surgeon with a great 
name does what may seem to him to be best. 
Sometimes they come back improved, some- 
times not, and sometimes they come back worse 
than when they went. In all probability the op- 
erator never sees the patient again and so the 
last chapters of the story must be told to the 
home doctor over and over again." 

Mary gave a little sigh. The doctor went on : 

"In many cases it isn't treatment of any kind 
that is needed. It is occupation — occupation 
for the mind and for the hands. Something that 
will make people forget themselves in their work 
or in their play." 

Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. 

"Is this you, Doctor?" 

"Yes." 

"I wanted to see if you were at the office. I'll 
be over there right away." 

In a few minutes the door opened and a gentle- 
man about thirty-five years of age entered. His 
manner was greatly agitated and he did not no- 
tice Mrs. Blank at the window near the corner 
of the room. 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 195 

"Good morning, Mr. Blake," said the doctor, 
shaking hands with him, "back again, are you?" 

Mr. Blake had been to C — , his native city. 
He had not been well for some time and had 
evinced a desire to go back and consult his old 
physician there, in which Dr. Blank had heartily 
concurred. 

"How long do you think I can live?" Mr. 
Blake asked now. 

"What do you mean?" replied the doctor, re- 
garding him closely. 

"I want to know how much time I have. I 
want to get my business fixed up before — " 

"Blake, you couldn't die if you wanted to. 
You're not a sick enough man for that." 

The patient took a letter from his pocket and 
handed it in silence to the doctor. The latter 
took it, looked carefully at the superscription, 
read it slowly through, then folded it with cool 
deliberation and put it back into the envelope. 

"I thought you were going to your old phy- 
sician," he said. 

"Dr. Kenton was out of the city so I went to 
the great specialist." 

"Did he tell you what was in this letter he sent 
to me?" 

"No, but the letter was not sealed and I read 
it. I was so anxious to know his opinion that 
I couldn't help it. Tuberculosis of the larynx — " 
his voice faltered. 

"Yes," said the doctor, calmly, "that is a thing 



196 THE STORY OF A 

a man may well be frightened about. But listen 
to me, Blake. You've not got tuberculosis of the 
larynx." 

"Do you think a great physician like Dr. Went- 
worth doesn't know what he is talking about ?" 

"Dr. Wentworth is a great physician; I know 
him well. But he is only a man like the rest of 
us and therefore liable to err in judgment some- 
times. He knew you half an hour, perhaps, be- 
fore he pronounced upon your case. I have 
known you and watched you for fifteen years. I 
say you have not got tuberculosis and I know I 
am right." 

Mary saw Mr. Blake grasp her husband's 
hand with a look in his face that made her think 
within herself, "Blessings on the country doctor 
wherever he may be, who has experience and 
knowledge and wisdom enough to draw just and 
true conclusions of his own and bravely state 
them when occasion demands." 

When the patient had gone Mary said to her 
husband, "One gets a kaleidoscopic view of life 
in a doctor's office. What comes through the ear 
at home comes before the eye here. The kaleido- 
scope turned a bright-colored bit into the place 
of a dark one this time, John. I am glad I 
was here to see." 

As she spoke footsteps were heard on the 
stairs. Slow and feeble steps they were, but at 
last they reached the landing and paused at the 
open door. Looking out Mary saw a poorly clad 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 197 

woman perhaps forty years of age, carrying in 
her hands a speckled hen. She was pale and 
trembling violently, and sank down exhausted 
into the chair the doctor set for her. He took 
the hen from her hands and set it on the floor. 
Its feet were securely tied and it made no effort 
tp escape. The doctor had never seen the woman 
before but noting the emaciated form and the 
hectic flush on the cheek he saw that consumption 
was fast doing its work. Mary took the palm 
leaf fan lying on the table and stood beside her, 
fanning her gently. 

When the woman could speak she said, "I 
oughtn't to 'a' tried to walk, Doctor, but there 
didn't seem to be anyone passin' an' this cough 
is killin' me. I want something for it." 

"How far did you walk?" asked Mary, kindly. 

"Four mile." 

"Four miles !" she looked down at the trem- 
bling form with deep pity in her brown eyes. 

"I didn't have any money, Doctor, but will the 
hen pay for the medicine?" her eyes were 
raised anxiously to his face and Mary's eyes met 
the look in the eyes of her husband. 

"I don't want the hen. We haven't any place 
to keep her. Besides my wife, here, is afraid 
of hens." A little smile flitted across the wan 
face. 

He told her how to take the medicine and then 
said, "Whenever you need any more let me know 



198 THE STORY OF A 

and I'll send it to you. You needn't worry about 
the pay." 

"I'm very much obleeged to you, Doctor." 

"Just take the hen back home with you." 

"I wonder if I couldn't sell her at the store," 
she said, looking at the doctor with a bright, ex- 
pectant face. 

"Wait here and rest awhile and then we'll see 
about it. I'll go down and perhaps I can find 
some one in town from out your way that you 
can ride home with. Where do you live?" She 
told him and he went down the stairs. In a little 
while he came back. 

"One of your neighbors is down here now 
waiting for you. He's just starting home," he 
said. He took the hen and as they started down 
the stairs Mary came out and joined them. At 
the foot of the stairway he said to the grocer 
standing in front of his establishment, "Here, 
Keller, I want you to give me a dollar for this 
hen." 

"She ain't worth it." 

"She is worth it," said the doctor so emphatic- 
ally that Keller put his hand in his pocket and 
handed out the dollar. The poor woman did not 
see the half dollar that passed from the doctor's 
hand to the grocer's, but Mary saw and was glad. 

The doctor laid the dollar in the trembling 
palm, helped the feeble woman into the wagon 
and they drove off. 

Mary turned to her husband and said with a 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 199 

little break in her voice, "I'm going home, John. 
I want to get away from your kaleidoscope." 

Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. 

"And I must go for another peep into it. Good- 
bye. Come again." 



"Is this Dr. Blank?" 

"Yes." 

"This is Jim Sampson, Doctor, out at Samp- 
son's mill. My boy fell out of a tree a while 
ago and broke his leg, and I'm sort o' worried 
about it." 

"It don't have to stay broke, you know." 

"That's just the point. I'm afraid it will — 
for a while at least." 

"What do you mean ?" 

"Why, my wife says she won't have it set 
unless the signs are right for setting a broken 
bone. S'he's great on the almanac signs." 

"The devil! You have that bone set — today! 
Do you understand?" 

"Yes, but Mary's awful set in her way." 

"I'm a darned sight more set. That boy's not 
going to lie there and suffer because of a fool 
whim of his mother's. Where is she? Send her 
to the 'phone and I'll talk to her." 

"She couldn't find her almanac and ran across 
to the neighbor's to get one." 

"Call me when she gets back." 

Ten minutes passed and the call came. 



200 THE STORY OF A 

"It's all right, Doctor, the signs says so." 

A note of humor but of unmistakable relief 
vibrated in the voice. 

"Come right out." 

"All right, Jim, I'll be out as s|oon as I make 
my round here in town. Tell your wife to have 
that almanac handy. I may learn something 
from it." 

An hour or two later he was starting out to 
get into the buggy, with splints and other needful 
things when the 'phone called him back. Hast- 
ily cramming them under the seat he went. 

"Hello." 

"Is this Dr. Blank?" 

"This is Millie Hastings. Do you remember 
me?" 

"No-o — I don't believe I do." 

"You doctored me." 

"Yes, I've 'doctored' several people." 

"I had typhoid fever two years ago up in the 
country at my uncle's." 

"What's your uncle's name?" 

"Henry Peters." 

"Yes, I remember now." 

"I wanted to find out what my bill is." 

"Wait here a moment till I look at the book." 

In a minute he had found it : Millie Hastings 
— so many visits at such and such a date, 
amounting to thirty-six dollars. He went back 
to the 'phone. 

"Do you make your money by working by the 
week?" 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 201 

"Yes, sir." 

"Have you learned how to save it ?" 

"Yes, sir, I had to. I have to help mother." 

"Your bill is eighteen dollars." 

He heard a little gasp, then a delighted voice 
said: "I was afraid it would be a good deal 
more. And n,ow Dr. Blank, I want to ask a 
favor of you." 

"Ask away." 

"I brought four dollars to town with me today 
to pay on my bill, but I want a rocking chair so 
bad — I'm over here at the furniture store now 
— and there's such a nice one here that just costs 
four dollars and I thought maybe you'd wait 
a " 

"Certainly I will. Get the rocking chair by 
all means," and he laughed heartily as he went 
out to the buggy. He climbed in and drove 
away, the smile still lingering on his face. At 
the outskirts of the town a tall girl hailed him 
from the sidewalk. He stopped. 

"I was just going to your office to get my 
medicine," she said. 

"I left it with the man there. He'll give it 
to you." 

"Must I take it just like the other?" 

"Yes. Laugh some, though, just before you 
take it." 

"Why?" 

"Because you won't feel like it afterward." 

The girl looked after him as he drove on. 



202 THE STORY OF A 

"He's laughing," she said to herself and a grin 
overspread her face as she pursued her leisurely 
way. 



Ting-a-ling-ling-ling-ling-ling-ling ! ! ! 

"Must be something unusual," thought Mary 
as the doctor went to the 'phone. 

"Doctor, is this you?" 

"Yes." 

"Come out to John Lansing's quick !" 

"What's the matter?" 

"My wife swallowed poison. Hurry, Doctor, 
for God's sake! 

In a few minutes the doctor was on his horse 
(the roads being too bad for a buggy) and was 
off. We will follow him as he plunges along 
through the darkness. 

Because of the mud the horse's progress was 
so slow that the doctor pulled him to one side, 
urged him on to the board walk, much against his 
inclination, and went clattering on at such a pace 
that the doors began to fly open on both sides of 
the street and heads, turned wonderingly after 
the fleeting horseman, were framed in rectangles 
of light. 

"What is the matter out there?" The angle 
of the heads said it so plainly that the doctor 
laughed within himself as he thundered on. Now 
it chanced that one of the heads belonged to a 
Meddlesome Matty who, next day, stirred the 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 203 

matter up, and that evening two officers of the 
law presented themselves at Dr. Blank's office 
and arrested him. 

"I don't care anything about the fine. All I 
wanted was to get there," he said, handing out 
the three dollars. 

After the horse left the board walk the road 
became more solid and in about ten minutes the 
doctor arrived at his destination. Before he 
could knock the door was opened. The patient 
sat reclining in a chair, motionless, rigid, her eyes 
closed. 

"What has she taken?" asked the doctor of 
the woman's husband. 

"Laudanum." 

"How much?" 

"She told me she took this bottle full," and 
he held up a two ounce bottle. 

"I think she's lying," thought the doctor as he 
laid his fingers upon her pulse. Then he raised 
the lids and looked carefully at the pupils of the 
eyes. "Not much contraction here," he thought. 
Turning to the husband who stood pale and 
trembling beside him, he said, 

"Don't be alarmed — she's in no more danger 
than you are." He watched the patient's face 
as he spoke and saw what he expected — a 
faint facial movement. 

"To be on the safe side we'll treat the case 
as if she had taken two ounces." He gave her 
a hypodermic emetic then called for warm water. 

"How much?" asked the husband. 



204 THE STORY OF A 

"O, a half gallon will do." 

A big - fat woman came panting" through the 
doorway. "I got here as quick as I could," she 
gasped. 

"We don't need you at all," said the doctor 
quietly. "Better go back home to your children, 
Mrs. Johnson." 

Mrs. Johnson, not liking to be cheated out of 
a sensation which she dearly loved, stood still. 
Mr. Lansing came back with the warm water. A 
faint slit appeared under the eyelids of the pa- 
tient. The doctor took the big cup and said ab- 
ruptly, "Here! drink this!" 

No response. "Mrs. Lansing!" he said so 
sharply that her eyes opened. "Drink this 
water." 

"I ca-an't," she murmured feebly. 

"Yes, you can." 

"I won't," the voice was getting stronger. 

"You will." 

"You'll see." 

"Yes, I'll see." 

He held the big vessel to her mouth. When 
the water began to pour down her neck she 
sprang to her feet fighting it off. He held the 
cup in his left hand while with his right he 
reached around her neck and took her firmly by 
the nose. Then he held the cup against her 
mouth and when it opened for breath he poured 
the life-saving fluid forcefully down. Great 
gulps of it were swallowed while a wide sheet of 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 205 

water poured down her neck and over her night- 
dress to the floor. 

"That was very well done. Better sit down 
now." 

The husband stood in awed silence. The fat 
woman shook her fist at the doctor's back which 
he beheld, nothing daunted, in the looking-glass 
on the wall. The patient herself sat down in 
absolute quiet. In a minute she began retching 
and vomited some of the water. The doctor in- 
spected it carefully. Then he went to his over- 
coat on a chair, felt in the pocket and drew out 
a coil of something. It looked like red rubber 
and was about half an inch in diameter. He 
slowly unwound it. It was five or six feet in 
length. A subdued voice asked, 

"What are you going to do now, Doctor?" 

"I am going to turn on the hose." 

"Wha-a-t?" 

"I am going to put this tube down into your 
stomach. You haven't thrown up much of that 
laudanum yet." 

She opened her mouth to speak and the doc- 
tor inserted one end of the tube and began ram- 
ming it down. "Unfasten a button or two here," 
he said to her husband and rammed some more. 
She gagged and gurgled and tried to push his 
hands away. 

"Hold on, we're not down yet — we're only 
about to the third button." He began ramming 
the tube again when she looked up at her hus- 



206 THE STORY OF A 

band so imploringly that he said, "Hold on a 
minute, Doctor, she wants to say something." 
The doctor withdrew the tube and waited. 
"I'm sure I threw it all up." 
"Oh no," he said beginning to lift it again. 
"I — only — took — two — or three drops." 
"Why the devil didn't you say so at the start?" 
"I wish I had. I just told Jim that." 
"To get even with him for something," an- 
nounced the doctor quietly. 

"How can he know so much," mused Jim's 
wife. 

"Now I advise you not to try this game again," 
said the doctor as he wound up the stomach tube 
and put it into his pocket. "You can't fool Jim 
all the time, and you can't fool me any of the 
time. Good night." And he rode home and 
found Mary asleep in her chair. 



Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. 

"Is this you, Dr. Blank?" 

"Yes." 

"I wanted to ask you about an electric vi- 
brator." 

"About what?" 

"An electric vibrator." 

"An electric something — I didn't get the last 
word." 

A little laugh, then "v-i-b-r-a-t-o-r." 

"Oh ! vibrator." 






DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 207 

"Yes. Do you think it would help my aunt?" 

"Not a durned bit." 

Another little laugh, "You don't think it 
would?" 

"No!" 

"I had a letter today from my cousin and she 
said she knew a lady who had had a stroke and 
this vibrator helped her more than anything." 

"It didn't. She imagined it." 

"Well, I didn't know anything about it and I 
knew you would, so I thought I'd 'phone you be- 
fore going any further. Much obliged, Doctor." 

It would save much time and money and dis- 
appointment if all those who don't know would 
pause to put a question or two to those who do. 
But so it is not, and the maker of worthless de- 
vices and the concocter of nostrums galore 
cometh oft to fortune by leaps and bounds, while 
the poor, conscientious physician who sticks to 
the truth of things, arriveth betimes at starva- 
tion's gate. 

(I was startled a few days ago to learn that 
the average income of physicians in the United 
States does not exceed six hundred dollars.) 



Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. 
"Tell papa he's wanted at the 'phone," said 
Mary. 

"Where is he?" 

"Isn't he there in the dining room?" 



208 THE STORY OF A 

"No, he isn't here." 

"He must be in the kitchen then; go to the 
door and call him." 

The small boy obeyed. "He's not out here 
either," he announced from the door-way. 

"Why, where can he be !" cried Mary, spring- 
ing up and going swiftly to the 'phone. "Hello." 

"Is the doctor there ?" 

"Yes. Wait just a minute and I will call him." 

She hurried through the dining room, then 
through the kitchen and out into the yard. No 
doctor to be seen. "He passed through the house 
not three minutes ago," she said to herself. 

"John !" 

"Doctor!" 

"Doc-tor r 

"O, dear ! I don't see how he could disappear 
from the face of the earth in three minutes' 
time !" 

She hurried around a projecting corner 
through a little gate and called again. 

"What is it ?" asked a placid voice as its owner 
emerged from his new auto garage. 

"Hurry to the 'phone for pity's sake !" and he 
hurried. Mary, following, all out of breath, 
heard this: 

"Two teaspoonfuls." Then the doctor hung 
up the receiver. He turned to Mary and laughed 
as he quoted Emerson on the mountain and the 
mouse. 

"I chased you all over the place this afternoon, 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 209 

John, when the 'phone was calling you, and 
couldn't find you at all. Some people have days 
to 'appear' but this seems to be your day to dis- 
appear. Where were you then ?" 

"Out in the garage." 

"Fascinating spot! I'll know where to look 
next time. Now come to supper." 



2io THE STORY OF A 



CHAPTER XV. 
It was October — the carnival time of the year, 

When on the ground red apples lie 

In piles like jewels shining, 
And redder still on old stone walls 

Are leaves of woodbine twining. 

When comrades seek sweet country haunts, 

By twos and twos together, 
And count like misers, hour by hour, 

October's bright blue weather. 

On a lovely afternoon our travelers were driv- 
ing leisurely along through partially cleared 
woodland. The doctor had proposed that they 
take this trip in the new automobile. But Mary 
had declined with great firmness. 

"I will not be hurled along the road in October 
of all months. What fools these mortals be," 
she went on. "Last year while driving slowly 
through the glorious Austrian Tyrol fairly hold- 
ing my breath with delight, one machine after 
another whizzed by, the occupants fancying they 
were 'doing' the Tyrol, I dare say." 

Mary looked about her, drinking in deep 
draughts of the delicious air. The beautifully- 
tinted leaves upon every tree and bush, the blue 






DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 211 

haze in the distance and the dreamful melan- 
choly over all, were delightful to her. The frag- 
rance of wild grapes came to them as they 
emerged from the woods and Mary said, 
"Couldn't you wait a minute, John, until I go 
back and find them? I'll bring you some." 

"If you were sick and had sent for a doctor 
would you like to have him fool around gather- 
ing grapes and everything else on his way?" 
"No, I wouldn't. I really wouldn't." 
They laughed as they sped along the open 
country road, skirted on either side by a rail 
fence. From a fence corner here and there 
arose tall sumac, like candelabra bearing aloft 
their burning tapers. The poke-weed flung out 
its royal purple banners while golden-rod and 
asters were blooming everywhere. Suddenly 
Mary exclaimed, "I'm going to get out of the 
buggy this minute." 
"What for?" 

"To gather those brown bunches of hazelnuts." 
"Mary, I positively will not wait for you." 
"John, I positively don't want you to wait for 
me," said Mary, putting her foot on the step, 
"I'm going to stay here and gather nuts till you 
come back. See how many there are?" and she 
sprang lightly to the ground. 

"It will be an hour or more before I can get 
back. I've got to take up that pesky artery." 

"It won't seem long. You know I like to be 
alone." 



212 THE STORY OF A 

"Good-bye, then," and the doctor started off. 

"Wait! John," his wife called after him. "I 
haven't a thing to put the nuts in, please throw 
me the laprobe." The doctor crushed the robe 
into a sort of bundle and threw it to her. 

She spread the robe upon the ground and be- 
gan plucking the bunches. Her fingers flew 
nimbly over the bushes and soon she had a pile 
of the brown treasures. Dear old times came 
trooping back. She thought of far-off autumn 
days when she had taken her little wagon and 
gone out to the hazel bushes growing near her 
father's house, and filled it to the top and 
tramped it down and filled it yet again. Then 
a gray October day came back when three or 
four girls and boys, all busy in the bushes, talked 
in awed tones of the great fire — Chicago was 
burning up ! Big, big Chicago, which they had 
never seen or dreamed of seeing — all because 
a cow kicked over a lamp. 

Mary moved to another clump of bushes. As 
she worked she thought if she had never known 
the joy of gathering nuts and wild grapes and 
persimmons, of wandering through woods and 
meadows, her childhood would have lost much 
that is beautiful and best, and her womanhood 
many of its dearest recollections. 

"You're the doctor's wife, ain't ye?" 

Mary looked around quite startled. A tall wo- 
man in a blue calico dress and a brown gingham 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 213 

sunbonnet was standing there. "I didn't want 
tp scare ye, I guess you didn't see me comin'." 

"I didn't know you were coming — yes, I am 
the doctor's wife." 

"We saw ye from the house and supposed he'd 
gone on to see old man Benning and that you 
had stopped to pick nuts." 

"You guessed it exactly," said Mary with a 
smile. 

"We live about a quarter mile back from the 
road so I didn't see the doctor in time to stop 
him." 

"Is some one sick at your house, then?" 

"Well, my man ain't a doin' right, somehow. 
He's been ailin' for some time and his left foot 
and leg is a turnin' blue. I come to see if you 
could tell me somethin' I could do for it. I'm 
afraid it's mortifyin'." 

Mary's brown eyes opened wide. "Why, my 
dear woman, I couldn't tell you anything to do. 
I don't know anything at all about such things." 

"I supposed bein' a doctor's wife you'd learnt 
everything like that." 

"I have learned many things by being a doctor's 
wife, very many things, but what to do with a 
leg and foot that are mortifying I really could 
not tell you." Mary turned her face away to 
hide a laugh that was getting near the surface. 
"I will have the doctor drive up to the house 
when he gets back if you wish," she said, turning 
to her companion. 



214 THE STORY OF A 

"Maybe that would be best. Your husband 
cured me once when I thought nothing would 
ever get me well again. I think more of him 
than any other man in the world." 

"Thank you. So do I." 

She started off and Mary went on gathering 
nuts, her face breaking into smiles at the queer 
errand and the restorative power imputed to 
herself. "If it is as serious as she thinks, all 
the doctors in the world can't do much for it, 
much less one meek and humble doctor's wife. 
But they could amputate, I suppose, and I'm sure 
I couldn't, not in a scientific way." 

Thus soliloquizing, she went from clump to 
clump of the low bushes till they were bereft of 
their fruitage. She looked down well-pleased at 
the robe with the nuts piled upon it. She drew 
the corners up and tied her bundle securely. This 
done she looked down the road where the doctor 
had disappeared. "I'll just walk on and meet 
him," she thought. She went leisurely along, 
stopping now and then to pluck a spray of gol- 
denrod. When she had gathered quite a bunch 
she looked at it closely. "You are like some peo- 
ple in this world — you have a pretty name and 
at a little distance you are pretty: but seen too 
close you are a disappointment, and more than 
that you are coarse. I don't want you," and she 
flung them away. She saw dust rising far down 
the road and hoped it might be the doctor. Yes, 
it was he, and Bucephalus seemed to know that 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 215 

he was traveling toward home. When her hus- 
band came up and she was seated beside him, 
she said, "You are wanted at that little house 
over yonder," and she told him what had taken 
place in the hazel bushes. "You're second choice 
though, they came for me first," she said laugh- 
ing. 

"I wish to thunder you'd gone. They owe me 
a lot now they'll never pay." 

"At any rate, they hold you in very high es- 
teem, John." 

"Oh, yes, but esteem butters no bread." 

"Well, you'll go, won't you? I told the wo- 
man you would." 

"Yes, I'll go." 

He turned into a narrow lane and in a few 
minutes they were at the gate. The doctor 
handed the reins to Mary and went inside. A 
girl fourteen or fifteen years old with a bald- 
headed baby on her arm came out of the house 
and down the path. 

"Won't you come in ?" 

"No, thank you. We will be going home in 
a minute." 

The girl set the baby on the gate-post. "She's 
the smartest baby I ever saw," she said. "She's 
got a whole mouthful of teeth already." 

"And how old is she?" 

"She was ten months old three weeks ago last 
Saturday." 

As today was Thursday, Mary was on the point 



216 THE STORY OF A 

of saying, "She will be eleven months old in a 
few days then," but checked herself — she un- 
derstood. It would detract from the baby's 
smartness to give her eleven months instead of 
only ten in which to accomplish such wonders 
in the way of teeth. The doctor came out and 
they started. Just before they came out to the 
main road they passed an old deserted house. No 
signs of life were about it except the very lux- 
uriant life in the tall jimsons and ragweeds 
growing about it and reaching almost to the top 
of the low doorway, yawning blackly behind 
them. 

"I think the longest night of my life was spent 
in that house about sixteen years ago. It's the 
only house I was ever in where there was nothing 
at all to read. There wasn't even an almanac." 

Mary laughed. "An almanac is a great deal 
better than nothing, my dear. I found that out 
once upon a time when I had to stay in a house 
for several hours where there was just one al- 
manac and not another printed page. I read the 
jokes two or three times till they began to pall 
and then set to work on the signs. I'll always 
have a regard for them because they gave me a 
lift through those tedious hours." 

They were not far from the western edge of 
the piece of woodland they were traversing and 
all about them was the soft red light of the set- 
ting sun. They could see the sun himself away 
off through the straight and solemn trunks of 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 217 

the trees. A mile farther on Mary uttered a 
sudden exclamation of delight. 

"See that lovely bittersweet!" 

"I see, but don't ask me to stop and get you 
some." 

"I won't, but I'll ask you to stop and let me 
get some." 

"I wouldn't bother about it. You'll have to 
scramble over that ditch and up the bank — " 

"I've scrambled over worse things in my life," 
she said, springing from the buggy and picking 
her way down the intervening ditch. The bright 
red berries in their flaring yellow hoods were 
beautiful. She began breaking off the branches. 
When she had gathered a large bunch and was 
turning toward the buggy she saw a vehicle con- 
taining two women approaching from the oppo- 
site direction. There was a ditch on either side 
of the road which, being narrow at this point, 
made passing a delicate piece of work. The doc- 
tor drew his horse to one side so that the wheels 
of the buggy rested on the very brink and waited 
for them to pass; he saw that there was room 
with perhaps a foot or two to spare. 

On came the travelers and — the front 
wheels of the two vehicles were locked 
in a close embrace. For a minute the 
doctor did some vigorous thinking and 
then he climbed out of the buggy. It was a 
trying position. He could not say all of the 
things he wanted to — it would not be polite ; 



218 THE STORY OF A 

neither did he want to act as if it were nothing 
because Mary might not understand the extent 
of the mischief she had caused and how much 
out of humor he was with her. It would be 
easier if she were only out of hearing instead of 
looking at him across the ditch with apologetic 
eyes. 

The doctor's horse began to move uneasily but 
the other stood perfectly still. 

"He's used to this sort of thing, perhaps," said 
the doctor with as little sarcasm as possible. 

"Yes, we have run into a good many buggies 
and things," said one of the women, cheerfully. 

"Women beat the devil when it comes to driv- 
ing," thought the doctor within himself. "They'll 
drive right over you and never seem to think 
they ought to give part of the road. And they 
do it everywhere, not only where there are 
ditches." He restrained his speech, backed the 
offending vehicle and started the travelers on. 
While he was doing so his own steed started 
on and he had a lively run to catch him. 

Mary had thought of turning back to break 
off another spray of the bittersweet but John's 
profanity was rising to heaven. Diplomacy re- 
quired her to get to the buggy and into it at once. 
This she did and the doctor plunged in after 
her. 

"Forgive me for keeping you waiting," she 
said gently. She held the bittersweet out before 
her. "Isn't it lovely, John?" 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 219 

A soft observation turneth away wrath. The 
doctor's was oozing away sooner than he wished. 

They drove on for a while in silence. The soft, 
still landscape dotted here and there with farm 
houses and with graceful elm and willow trees, 
was lit up and glorified by the after-glow. The 
evening sky arching serenely over a quiet world, 
how beautiful it was! And as Mary's eyes 
caught a glittering point of light in the blue vault 
above them, she sang softly to herself : 

"O, thou sublime, sweet evening star, 
Joyful I greet thee from afar." 

For a while she watched the stars as one by 
one they twinkled into view, then drawing her 
wraps more closely about her, she leaned back in 
the carriage and gave herself up to pleasant re- 
flection, and before she realized it the lights of 
home were twinkling cheerily ahead. 



220 THE STORY OF A 



CHAPTER XVI. 

"You are not going out tonight, John, no mat- 
ter how often the 'phone rings. I positively will 
not let you." Mary spoke with strong emphasis. 
All the night before he had been up and today 
had been a hard day for him. She had seldom 
seen him so utterly weary as he was tonight. He 
had come home earlier than usual and now sat 
before the fire, his head sunk on his breast, half 
asleep. 

"Go right to bed, dear, then you can really 
rest." 

The doctor, too tired to offer any resistance, 
rose and went to the bedroom. In a few minutes 
his wife heard regular sonorous sounds from the 
bed. (When she spoke of these sounds to John, 
Mary pronounced it without the first o.) 

Glad that he had so soon fallen into deep 
sleep she settled back in her chair. "I'll protect 
him tonight," she thought, "though fiery darts 
be hurled." 

She thought of many things. The fire-light 
gleamed red upon the hearth. All was still. The 
sounds from the adjoining room had ceased. 
Something stirred within her and she rose and 
went softly to the bedside of her sleeping hus- 
band. In the half-light she could see the strong, 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 221 

good face. Dear John so profane yet so patient, 
so severe yet so tender, what would it be to face 
life without him. She laid her hand very lightly 
on the hand which lay on the counterpane, then 
took it away lest it disturb the sleeper. She went 
back to her chair and opening a little volume took 
from it a folded sheet. Twice before today 
had she read the words written within it. A 
dear friend whose husband had recently died had 
written her, inclosing them. She read them again 
now: 

IN MEMORIAM, A PRAYER. 

"O God! The Father of the spirits of all 
flesh, in whatsoever world or condition they be, 
— I beseech Thee for him whose name, and 
dwelling place, and every need Thou knowest. 
Lord, vouchsafe him peace and light, rest and re- 
freshment, joy and consolation in Paradise, in 
the ample folds of Thy great love. Grant that 
his life, so troubled here, may unfold itself in 
Thy sight, and find employment in the spacious 
fields of Eternity. — If he hath ever been hurt 
or maimed by any unhappy word or deed of 
mine, I pray Thee, of Thy great pity, to heal and 
restore him, that he may serve Thee without 
hindrance. 

'Tell him, O gracious Father, it it may be, — 
how much I love him and miss him, and long to 
see him again ; and if there may be ways in which 
he may come, vouchsafe him to me as guide and 
guard, and grant me such sense of his nearness 
as Thy laws permit. If in aught I can minister 
to his peace, be pleased of Thy love to let this 



222 THE STORY OF A 

be ; and mercifully keep me from every act which 
may deprive me of the sight of him, as soon as 
our trial time is over, or mar the fullness of our 
joy when the end of the days hath come." 



Mary brushed away a tear from her cheek. 
"This letter has awakened unusual thoughts. I 
will—" 

A sharp peal from the telephone. 

"What is it?" 

"Is the doctor at home ?" 

"Yes. He has gone to bed and is fast asleep." 

"Oh! We wanted him to come down to see 
my sister." 

"He was up all last night and is not able to 
come> — " 

"Can I just talk to him about her?" 

Mary sighed. To rouse him from his sorely 
needed sleep was too cruel. Then she spoke. "I 
must not disturb him unless it is absolutely 
necessary. I shall be sitting here awake — call 
me again in a little while if you think it neces- 
sary." 

"A — 1 — 1 r — i — g — h — t — " and a sob came 
distinctly to the listener's ear. 

This was too much for Mary. "I'll call him," 
she said hurriedly and went to the bedroom. 

With much difficulty she roused him. He threw 
back the covers, got up and stumbled to the 
'phone. 

"Hello Yes They didn't? Is she suf- 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 223 

fering much?.... All right, I'll be down in a 
little bit." 

Mary groaned aloud. She had vowed to pro- 
tect him though fiery darts be hurled. But the 
sob in the voice of a frightened young girl was 
more potent than any fiery dart could have been 
and had melted her at once. Slowly but surely 
the doctor got himself into his clothes. 

"I don't think there's any use of my going 
down there again, but I suppose I'll have it to 
do." When he returned an hour later, he said, 
"Just as I thought — they were . badly scared 
over nothing. I shouldn't wonder if they'd rout 
me out again before morning." 

"No, they won't," said Mary to herself, and 
when her husband was safe in bed again, she 
walked quietly to the telephone, took down the 
receiver and left it down. "Extreme cases re- 
quire extreme measures," she thought as she, 
too, prepared for her night's rest. But there 
was a haunting feeling in her mind about the 
receiver hanging there. Suppose some one who 
really did need the doctor should call and call 
in vain. She would not think of it. She turned 
over and fell asleep and they both slept till morn- 
ing and rose refreshed for another day. 

A few weeks later circumstances much like 
those narrated above arose, and the doctor's wife 
for the second and last time left the receiver 
down. About two o'clock there came a tragic 



224 THE STORY OF A 

pounding at the door and when the doctor went 
to open it a voice asked, "What's the matter 
down here?" 

"Why?" 

"Central's been ringing you to beat the band 
and couldn't get you awake." 

"Strange we didn't hear. What's wanted?" 
He had recognized the messenger as the night 
clerk at the hotel not far from his home. 

"A man hurt at the railroad — they're afraid 
he'll bleed to death. Central called me and asked 
me to run over here and rouse you." 

When the doctor was gone Mary rose trem- 
blingly and hung /up the receiver. She would not 
tell John what she had done. He would be an- 
gry. She had felt that the end justified the 
means — that he was tired out and half sick and 
sorely needed a night's unbroken rest — but if 
the end should be the bleeding to death of this 
poor man — 

She dared not think of it. She went back to 
bed but not to sleep. She lay wide awake keenly 
anxious for her husband's return. And when at 
last he came her lips could hardly frame the 
question, "How is he, John?" 

"Pretty badly hurt, but not fatally." 

"Thank heaven !" Mary whispered, and formed 
a quick resolve which she never broke. This be- 
longed to her husband's life — it must remain a 
part of it to the end. 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 225 



CHAPTER XVI. 

One lovely morning in April, Mary was called 
to the telephone. 

"I want you to drive to the country with me 
this morning," said her husband. 

"1*11 be delighted. I have a little errand down 
town and I'll come to the office — we can start 
from there." Accordingly half an hour later she 
walked into the office and seated herself in a 
big chair to wait till John was ready. The door 
opened and a small freckle-faced boy entered. 

"Good morning, Governor," said the doctor. 
The governor grinned. 

"What can I do for you today ?" 

"How much will ye charge to pull a tooth ?" 

"Well, I'll pull the tooth and if it don't hurt 
I won't charge anything. Sit down." 

The boy sat down and the doctor got out his 
forceps. The tooth came hard but he got it. The 
boy clapped his hand over his mouth but not a 
sound escaped him. 

"There it is," said the doctor, holding out the 
offending member. "Do you want it ?" A boy's 
tooth is a treasure to be exhibited to all one's 
friends. He took it and put it securely in his 
pocket. 

"How much do I have to pay?" 



226 THE STORY OF A 

"Did it hurt?" 

"Nope." 

"Nothing at all." 

The boy slid from the chair and out of the 
door, ecstasy overspreading all the freckles. 

"That boy has a future," said Mary looking 
after him with a smile. 

"I see they have brought the horse. We must 
be starting." 

Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. 

"They want ye down at Pete Jansen's agin." 

"What's the matter there now ?" 

"O, that youngun's been drinkin' somethin' 
agin." 

"Into the lye this time, too?" 

"No, it's coal oil and bluin' this time and I 
don't know what else." 

"I'll be down right away," said the doctor, 
taking up his hat." 

"Get into the buggy and drive down with me, 
Mary, it's just at the edge of town and then we 
can drive on into the country." 

When they stopped at the house, an unpainted 
little frame structure, Mary held the horse while 
her husband went in. 

"Where's the boy?" he asked, looking around. 

"He's out in the back yard a-playin' now, I 
guess," his mother replied from the bed. 

"Then what in thunder did you send for me 
for?" 

"Why, I was scared for fear it would kill him." 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 227 

The doctor turned to go then paused to ask, 
"How's the baby?" 

"She's doin' fine." 

"She's just about a week old now, isn't she?" 

"A week yesterday. Don't you want to see 
how much she's growed?" 

The doctor went to the bed and looked down 
at the wee little maiden. 

"Great God !" he exclaimed, so fiercely that the 
woman was frightened. "Why haven't you let 
me know about this baby's eyes." 

"W'y, we didn't think it 'd 'mount to anything. 
We thought they 'd git well in a day or two." 

"She'll be blind in less than a week if some- 
thing isn't done for them." 

"Grandmother's been a doctorin' 'em some." 

"Well, there's going to be a change of doctors 
right straight. I'm going to treat this baby's 
eyes myself." 

"We don't want any strong medicine put in 
a baby's eyes." 

"It don't make a bit of difference what you 
want. I'm going to the drug store now to get 
what I need and I want you to have warm water 
and clean cloths ready by the time I get back. 
Is there anyone here to do it ?" 

"There's a piece of a girl out there in the 
kitchen. She ain't much 'count." The doctor 
went to the kitchen door and gave his orders. 

"I'd ruther you'd let the baby's eyes alone. 
I'm afraid to have strong medicine put in 'em." 



228 THE STORY OF A 

For answer he went out, got into the 
buggy and drove rapidly back to town where he 
procured what he needed and in a few minutes 
was back. 

"You'd better come in this time, Mary, you'll 
get tired of waiting and besides I want you to 
see this baby. I want you to know something 
about what every father and mother ought to 
understand." 

They went in and the doctor took the baby up 
and seated himself by the chair on which stood 
a basin of water. The mother, with very ungra- 
cious demeanor, looked on. Mary, shocked and 
filled with pity, looked down into the baby's face. 
The inflammation in the eyes was terrible. The 
secretion constantly exuded and hung in great 
globules to the tiny lids. Never in her life had 
she seen anything like it. "Let me hold it for 
you," she said, sitting down and taking the baby 
in her lap. 

The doctor turned the little head toward him 
and held it gently between his knees. He took 
a pair of goggles from his pocket and put them 
over his eyes to protect them from the poison, 
then tenderly as any mother could have done, 
he bathed and cleansed the poor little eyes open- 
ing so inauspiciously upon the world. He thought 
as he worked of this terribe scourge of infancy, 
producing one-third of all the blindness in the 
world. He thought too, that almost all of this 
blindness was preventable by prompt and proper 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 229 

treatment. Statistics had proven these two 
things beyond all doubt. He thought of the 
earnest physicians who had labored long to have 
some laws enacted in regard to this stupendous 
evil but with little result.* 

When they were in the buggy again Mary said, 
"But what if the baby goes blind after all ? Of 
course they would say that you did it with your 
'strong medicine/ " 

"Of course they would, but that would not dis- 
turb me in the least. But it will not go blind 
now. I'll see to that." 

Soon they had left the town behind them and 
were fairly on their way. The soft, yet bracing, 
air of the April morning was delightful. The 
sun shone warm. Birds carolled everywhere. 
The buds on the oak trees were swelling, while 
those on the maples were bursting into red and 
furzy bloom. Far off to the left a tall sycamore 
held out white arms in welcome to the Spring- 
time and perfect stillness lay upon the landscape. 

"I am so glad the long reign of winter and 
bad roads is ended, John, so I can get out with 
you again into the blessed country." 

"And I am glad to have good company." 

"Thanks for that gallant little speech. Ask 



* 1. Ophthalmia Neonatorum 
2. There has been legislation for the prevention of blind- 
ness in the States of New York, Maine, Rhode Island and 
Illinois. 



230 THE STORY OF A 

me often, but I won't go every time because you 
might get tired of me and I'd be sure to get tired 
of you." 

"Thanks for that gracious little speech. 



That evening when the doctor and Mary were 
sitting alone, she said, "John, that baby's eyes 
have haunted me all day long. And you say one- 
third of the blindness of the world is due to this 
disease." 

"Yes." 

"That seems to me a terrific accusation against 
you doctors. What have you been doing to pre- 
vent it?" 

"Everything that has been done — not very 
much, I'm afraid. Speaking for myself, I can 
say that I have long been deeply interested. I 
have written several papers on the subject — one 
for our State Medical Society." 

"So far so good. But I'd like to know more 
about it." 

"Write to the secretary of the State Board of 
Health for all the information that he can give 
you." 

The next day Mary wrote. Three days later 
she received the following letter: 

Springfield, Nov. 16, 1909. 
My dear Mrs. Blank: 

Several states of the Union have laws in re- 
lation to the prevention of blindness, some .good, 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 231 

some bad, and some indifferent, and I fear that 
the last applies to the manner in which the laws 
are enforced in the majority of the States. In the 
December, 1908, Bulletin of this Board, a copy 
of which I send you under separate cover, you 
will find the Illinois law, which, as you can read- 
ily see, is very difficult of enforcement. 

But, as I said, much can be done in its en- 
forcement if the State Board of Health can se- 
cure the co-operation of the physicians of the 
State. However, in this connection you will note 
that I have made an appeal to physicians, on 
page 757. Yet, to the best of my knowledge, the 
Board has not received one inquiry in regard to 
the enforcement of this law, except from the 
Committee on the Prevention of Ophthalmia Ne- 
onatorum. 

In regard to the other States, it will take me 
some time to look up the laws, but I will advise 
you in a few days. 

Sincerely yours, 

J. A. Egan. 

After reading it carefully through, Mary's 
eye went back to the sentence, "Much can be 
done if the State Board of Health can secure the 
co-operation of the physicians of the State." 

She rose and walked the floor. "If I were a 
Voice — a persuasive voice," she thought, "I 
would fly to the office of every physician in our 
great State and then to every physician in the 
land and would whisper in his ear, 'It is your 
glorious privilege to give light to sightless eyes. 
It is more : it is your sacred duty. O, be up and 
doing V" 



232 THE STORY OF A 

"To think, John," she said, turning impetu- 
ously toward her husband, "that I, all these years 
the wife of a man who knows this terrible truth 
should just be rinding it out. Then think of the 
thousands of men and women who know nothing 
about it. How are they to know? Who is to 
tell them? Who is to blame for the blindness in 
the first place ? Who can — " 

Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. 
Ting-a-ling-ling-ling. 

"Is this Dr. Blank?" 

"Yes." 

"This is Mr. Ardmore. Can you come up to 
my house right away?" 

"Right away." 

When he arrived at his destination he was met 
at the door by a well-dressed, handsome young 
man. "Just come into this room for a few min- 
utes, Doctor. My wife says they are not quite 
ready for you in there." 

"Who is the patient?" asked the doctor as he 
walked into the room indicated. 

"The baby boy." 

"The baby boy!" exclaimed the doctor. "I 
didn't know the little rascal had got here." 

"Yes, you were out of town. My wife and I 
thought that ended the matter but he got here 
just the same." 

"Mighty glad to hear it. How old is he?" 

"Just ten days." 

"Pretty fine, isn't he?" 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 233 

"You bet! I wouldn't take all the farms in 
these United States for him." 

"To be sure. To be sure," laughed the doctor. 
He picked up a little volume lying open on the 
table. "Do you like Omar?" he asked, aimlessly 
turning the pages. 

"Very much. I don't always get the old Per- 
sian's meaning exactly. Take this verse," he 
reached for the book and turning back a few 
pages read: 

"The moving finger writes; and having writ, 
Moves on; nor all your piety nor wit 
Shall lure it back to cancel half a line, 
Nor all your tears wash out a word of it. 

That sounds pretty but it has something in it 
that almost scares a fellow — he doesn't know 
why." 

The nurse appeared in the doorway and an- 
nounced that the doctor might come in now. 
Both men rose and went across the hall into the 
bedroom. The doctor shook hands with the 
baby's mother. "Where did you get this?" he 
asked, laying his hand on the downy little head. 

"He came out of the everywhere into the 
here," she quoted, smiling. 

"Nurse, turn the baby's face up so the doctor 
can see his eyes. They're greatly inflamed, Doc- 
tor," she said. 

The doctor started. "Bring a light closer," he 
said sharply. 

While the light was being brought he asked, 



234 THE STORY OF A 

"Did this inflammation begin when the baby was 
about three days old ?" 

"He was exactly three days old." 

"And been growing worse ever since ?" 

"Yes. Dr. Brown was with me when he was 
born. He came in the next day and everything 
was all right. Then he was called to Chicago 
and I didn't know enough about babies to know 
that this might be serious." 

"You ought to have known," said the doctor 
sternly, turning to the nurse. 

"I am not a professional nurse. I have never 
seen anything like this before." 

The light was brought and the nurse took the 
baby in her arms. The doctor, bending over it, 
lifted the swollen little lids and earnestly scrut- 
inized the eyes. The cornea was entirely de- 
stroyed! 

"O God!" The words came near escaping 
him. Sick at heart he turned his face away that 
the mother might not see. She must not know 
the awful truth until she was stronger. He gave 
some instructions to the nurse, then left the room 
followed by the baby's father. 

"Stop for a few minutes, Doctor, if you please. 
I'd like to ask you something about this," and 
both resumed their seats, after Mr. Ardmore had 
closed the door. 

"Do you think the baby's eyes have been hurt 
by too much light?" 

"No by darkness — Egyptian darkness." 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 235 

The young man looked at him in wonder. 

"What is the disease?" 

"It is Ophthalmia Neonatorum, or infantile 
sore eyes." 

"What is the nature of it?" 

"It is always an infection." 

"How can that be? There has been nobody 
at all in the room except Dr. Brown and the 
nurse." 

The doctor did not speak. There came into his 
mind the image of Mary as she had asked so 
earnestly, "How are they to know? Who is to 
tell them ?" 

Leaning slightly forward and looking the 
young man in the face he said, "I do not know 
absolutely, but you know!" 

"Know what?" 

"Whether or not your child's eyes have had a 
chance to be infected by certain germs." 

"What do you mean, Doctor?" asked the 
young father in vague alarm. 

Slowly, deliberately, and with keen eyes 
searching the other's face the doctor made reply : 

"I mean that the sins of the fathers are vis- 
ited upon the children." 

There was bewildered silence for an instant 
then a wave of crimson surged over neck, cheek 
and brow. It was impossible to meet the doc- 
tor's eyes. The young man looked down and 
made no attempt to speak. By and by he said in 
a low voice, "It's no use for me to deny to you, 



236 THE STORY OF A 

Doctor^ that I have been a fool and have let my 
base passions master me. But if I had dreamed 
of any such result as this they wouldn't have 
mastered me — I know that." 

"The man that scorns these vile things because 
of the eternal wrong in them will never have 
any fearful results rising up to confront him." 

"All that has been put behind me forever, 
Doctor ; I feel the truth and wisdom of what you 
say. Just get my boy's eyes well and he shall 
never be ashamed of his father." 

The doctor looked away from the handsome, 
intelligent face so full at that moment of love 
and tenderness for this new son which had been 
given into his care and keeping, and a wave of 
pity surged over him. But he must go on to the 
bitter end. 

"You have not understood this old Persian's 
verse," he said, taking up the little book again. 
"Tonight his meaning is to be made plain to 
you." 

Slowly he read: 

"The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, 
Moves on; nor all your Piety nor Wit 
Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line, 
Nor all your Tears wash out a Word of it. 

He laid the volume gently down and turning, 
faced the younger man. 

"Listen: In those licentious days the Moving 
Finger was writing a word for the future to re- 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 237 

veal. It wrote BLIND in the eyes of your help- 
less child." 

"My God! You don't mean it!" 
"It is true. The cornea is destroyed." 
A deathly pallor overspread the young man's 
face. He bowed his head in his hands and great 
sobs shook his frame. "My God ! My God !" he 
gasped over and over again. Accustomed as the 
doctor was to suffering and sorrow this man's 
anguish was too much for him. The tears rolled 
down his cheeks and he made no effort to re- 
strain them. 

After a long time the younger man raised 
his head and spoke in broken words, "Doctor, I 
must not keep you here. You are needed else- 
where. Leave me to Remorse. I am young and 
you are growing old, Doctor, but will you take 
this word from me? You and all in your pro- 
fession should long ago have told us these 
things. The world should not lie in ignorance of 
this tremendous evil. If men will not be saved 
from themselves they will save their unborn 
children, if they only know. God help them." 
The doctor went slowly homeward, his mind 
filled with the awful calamity in the house- 
hold he had left. "It is time the world is wak- 
ing," he thought. "We must arouse it." 



Ting - a - ling - ling - ling. Ting - a - ling 
ling - ling. Ting - a - ling - ling - ling. 



238 THE STORY OF A 

"Is this Mrs. Blank?" 

It was a manly voice vibrating with youth and 
joy. 

"I want to tell you that your husband has just 
left a sweet little daughter at our house." 

"Oh, has he! I'm very glad, Mr. Farwell. 
Thank you for telephoning. Father, mother and 
baby all doing well ?" 

"Fine as silk. I had to tell somebody right 
away. Now I'm off to send some telegrams to 
the folks at home. Goodbye." 

Ting - a - ling - ling - ling. Ting - a - ling - 
ling - ling. Ting - a - ling - ling - ling. 

"This is Mrs. Blank is it not?" 

"Yes." 

"Will you please tell the doctor that father is 
dead. He died twenty minutes ago." 

"The doctor was expecting the message, Mr. 
Jameson," said Mary gently. This, too, was the 
voice of a young man, but quiet, subdued, 
bringing tidings of death instead of life. And 
Mary, going back to her seat in the twilight, 
thought of the words of one — Life is a narrow 
vale between the cold and barren peaks of two 
eternities. The eternity before the baby came, 
the eternity after the old man went, were sol- 
emnly in her thoughts. But they were not cold 
and barren peaks to her. They were crowned 
with light and warmth and love. 

And into her thoughts came, too, the never- 
ending story of the 'phone as it was unfolding 



DOCTOR'S TELEPHONE 239 

itself to her throughout the years. Humor and 
pathos, folly and wisdom, tragedy and comedy, 
pain, anguish, love, joy, sorrow — all had spoken 
and had poured their brief story into the listen- 
ing ear of the helper. And when he was not 
there, into the ear of one who must help in her 
own poor way. 

O countless, countless messages stored in her 
memory to await his coming! Only she could 
know how faithfully she had guarded and deliv- 
ered them. Only she could — 

Ting - a - ling. Ting - a - ling. Ting - a - 
ling - ling - ling. 



APR 4 1812 



